The Gary Null Show - 04.16.21

1.  EMPATHY - BEST SPEECH OF ALL TIME By Simon Sinek | Inspiritory 10 mins 
2. Sweet Uncle Billy
 
Mushrooms boost immunity, suggests research
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, April 13. 2021
 
 
Could a mushroom a day help keep the doctor away?
 
A new University of Florida study shows increased immunity in people who ate a cooked shiitake mushroom every day for four weeks.
 
Of the thousands of mushroom species globally, about 20 are used for culinary purposes. Shiitake mushrooms are native to Asia and are cultivated for their culinary and medicinal value.
 
A study led by UF Food Science and Human Nutrition Professor Sue Percival, 52 healthy adults, age 21 to 41, came to the Gainesville campus, where researchers gave them a four-week supply of dry shiitake mushrooms. Participants took the mushrooms home, cleaned and cooked them. Then they ate one, 4-ounce serving of mushrooms each day during the experiment.
 
Through blood tests before and after the experiment, researchers saw better-functioning gamma delta T-cells and reductions in inflammatory proteins.
 
"If you eat a shiitake mushroom every day, you could see changes in their immune system that are beneficial," said Percival, an Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty member. "We're enhancing the immune system, but we're also reducing the inflammation that the immune system produces."
 
To be eligible for the study, participants could not be vegans or vegetarians. They also could not drink tea, take antioxidant supplements or probiotics before the study. They also could not consume more than 14 glasses of alcoholic beverages per week or eat more than seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day during the experiment.
 
Percival explained the dietary restrictions as follows: Fiber, tea and probiotics help the body's immune system, so researchers didn't want to start with people who already had a strong immune system. Additionally, that much alcohol could suppress immunity, she said.
 
The study was published  in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
 
 
Metabolic changes in fat tissue in obesity associated with adverse health effects
University of Helsinki (Finland), April 9, 2021
Researchers at the Obesity Research Unit of the University of Helsinki have found that obesity clearly reduces mitochondrial gene expression in fat tissue, or adipose tissue. Mitochondria are important cellular powerplants which process all of our energy intake. If the pathways associated with breaking down nutrients are lazy, the changes can often have health-related consequences.
A total of 49 pairs of identical twins discordant for body weight participated in the study conducted at the University of Helsinki: their body composition and metabolism were studied in detail, and biopsies from adipose and muscle tissue were collected. Multiple techniques for analysing the genome-wide gene expression, the proteome and the metabolome were used in the study. 
The study was recently published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
According to the findings, the pathways responsible for mitochondrial metabolism in adipose tissue were greatly reduced by obesity. Since mitochondria are key to cellular energy production, their reduced function can maintain obesity. For the first time, the study also compared the effects of obesity specifically on the mitochondria in muscle tissue in these identical twin pairs: muscle mitochondria too were found to be out of tune, but the change was less distinct than in adipose tissue. 
The study provided strong evidence of a connection between the low performance of adipose tissue mitochondria and a proinflammatory state. Furthermore, the findings indicate that metabolic changes in adipose tissue are associated with increased accumulation of fat in the liver, prediabetic disorders of glucose and insulin metabolism as well as cholesterol.
"If mitochondria, the cellular powerplants, are compared to the engine of a car, you could say that the power output decreases as weight increases. A low-powered mitochondrial engine may also generate toxic exhaust fumes, which can cause a proinflammatory state in adipose tissue and, consequently, the onset of diseases associated with obesity," says Professor Kirsi Pietiläinen from the Obesity Research Unit, University of Helsinki.
"What was surprising was that the mitochondrial pathways in muscle had no association with these adverse health effects," Pietiläinen adds.
Obesity also affected amino acid metabolism
In the study, changes in mitochondrial function were also seen in amino acid metabolism. The metabolism of branched-chain amino acids, which are essential to humans, was weakened in the mitochondria of both adipose tissue and muscle tissue.
"This finding was of particular significance because the reduced breakdown of these amino acids and the resulting heightened concentration in blood have also been directly linked with prediabetic changes and the accumulation of liver fat in prior twin studies," says Pietiläinen.
Obesity, with its numerous associated diseases, is a common phenomenon that is continuously increasing in prevalence. While lifestyle influence the onset of obesity, genes also have a significant role. 
"Identical twins have the same genes, and their weight is usually fairly similar. In fact, studying twins is the best way to investigate the interplay between genes and lifestyle. In spite of their identical genome, the genes and even mitochondria of twins can function on different activity levels. We utilised this characteristic in our study when looking into the effects of weight on tissue function," Pietiläinen says.
 
 
Research suggests selenium supplementation may extend lifespan
Orentreich Foundation for the Advancement of Science (Cold Spring), April 12, 2021
 
Adding the nutrient selenium to diets protects against obesity and provides metabolic benefits to mice, according to a study published in eLife.
The results could lead to interventions that reproduce many of the anti-aging effects associated with dietary restriction while also allowing people to eat as normal.
Several types of diet have been shown to increase healthspan - that is, the period of healthy lifespan. One of the proven methods of increasing healthspan in many organisms, including non-human mammals, is to restrict dietary intake of an amino acid called methionine.
Recent studies have suggested that the effects of methionine restriction on healthspan are likely to be conserved in humans. Although it might be feasible for some people to practice methionine restriction, for example, by adhering to a vegan diet, such a diet might not be practical or desirable for everyone. In the current study, a research team from the Orentreich Foundation for the Advancement of Science(OFAS), Cold Spring, New York, US, aimed to develop an intervention that produces the same effects as methionine restriction, while also allowing an individual to eat a normal, unrestricted diet.
An important clue for developing such a treatment is that methionine restriction causes a decrease in the amounts of an energy-regulating hormone called IGF-1. If a treatment could be found that causes a similar decrease in IGF-1, this might also have beneficial effects on healthspan. Previous research has shown that selenium supplementation reduces the levels of circulating IGF-1 in rats, suggesting that this could be an ideal candidate.
The team first studied whether selenium supplementation offered the same protection against obesity as methionine restriction. They fed young male and older female mice one of three high-fat diets: a control diet containing typical amounts of methionine, a methionine-restricted diet, and a diet containing typical amounts of methionine as well as a source of selenium. For both male and female mice of any age, the authors found that selenium supplementation completely protected against the dramatic weight gain and fat accumulation seen in mice fed the control diet, and to the same extent as restricting methionine.
Next, they explored the effects of the three diets on physiological changes normally associated with methionine restriction. To do this, they measured the amounts of four metabolic markers in blood samples from the previously treated mice. As hoped, they found dramatically reduced levels of IGF-1 in both male and female mice. They also saw reductions in the levels of the hormone leptin, which controls food intake and energy expenditure. Their results indicate that selenium supplementation produces most, if not all, of the hallmarks of methionine restriction, which suggests that this intervention may have a similar positive effect on healthspan.
To gain insight into the beneficial effects of selenium supplementation, the researchers used a different organism - yeast. The two most widely used measurements of healthspan in yeast are chronological lifespan, which tells us how long dormant yeast remain viable, and replicative lifespan, which measures the number of times a yeast cell can produce new offspring. The team previously showed that methionine restriction increases the chronological lifespan of yeast, so they tested whether selenium supplementation might do the same. As it turned out, yeast grown under selenium-supplemented conditions had a 62% longer chronological lifespan (from 13 days to 21 days) and a replicative lifespan extended by nine generations as compared with controls. This demonstrates that supplementing yeast with selenium produces benefits to healthspan detectable by multiple tests of cell aging.
“One of the major goals of aging research is to identify simple interventions that promote human healthspan,” notes senior author Jay Johnson, Senior Scientist at OFAS. “Here we present evidence that short-term administration of either organic or inorganic sources of selenium provides multiple health benefits to mice, the most notable of which being the prevention of diet-induced obesity. In the long term, we expect that supplementation with these compounds will also prevent age-related disease and extend the overall survival of mice. It is our hope that many of the benefits observed for mice will also hold true for humans.”
 
 
Adherence to Mediterranean Diet Is Associated With Lung Function in Older Adults
Kapodistrian University (Greece), April 3, 2021
Objective: The aim of this work was to examine the association between adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD) and lung function in older adults.
Design: This was an observational and cross-sectional study.
Setting: This research was conducted among community-dwelling older adults from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS).
Subjects: Subjects were 2108 adults aged 50 years or older, 1234 (58.5%) of whom were female.
Measures: Dietary intakes from respondents of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used for the current analysis. Adherence to MD was evaluated using the MedDietScore, while lung function was evaluated through peak expiratory flow rate (PEF; l/min). Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were performed, adjusted for potential confounders, to examine the relation between adherence to MD and lung function.
Results: Mean MedDietScore was 28.0 (± 5.0), indicating a moderate adherence to MD. Multiple linear regression showed a significant association between the MedDietScore and lung function (β = 0.072, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.039–0.104) after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, race, comorbidities, education, height, grip strength, smoking history, physical activity, and daily caloric intake. Specific food groups such as grains, dairy products, and fish consumption were also associated with PEF rate (p 

The Gary Null Show - 04.15.21

1. This is why we can't have nice things. -  This video is about stuff: light bulbs, printers, phones and why they aren't better
 
2. Millennials in the Workforce, A Generation of Weakness - Simon Sinek: Simon Sinek explains how the millennial generation became so entitled. A combination of failed parenting strategies, technology, impatience and environment have created a wave of young people who can't hack it in the real world.
 
3. New Rule: The Debbies | Real Time with Bill Maher

The Gary Null Show - 04.14.21

 
 
Study identifies specific antioxidants that may reduce oncogenic HPV infection in women
Louisiana State University, April 12, 2021
A study led by Hui-Yi Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Biostatistics, and a team of researchers at LSU Health New Orleans Schools of Public Health and Medicine has found that adequate levels of five antioxidants may reduce infection with the strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) associated with cervical cancer development. Findings are published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Although previous studies have suggested that the onset of HPV-related cancer development may be activated by oxidative stress, the association had not been clearly understood. This study evaluated associations between 15 antioxidants and vaginal HPV infection status -- no, low-risk, and oncogenic/high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) -- in 11,070 women aged 18-59 who participated in the 2003-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. 
Study results showed that lower levels of serum albumin and four dietary antioxidants - vitamins A, B2, E, and folate -- were associated with a higher risk of HR-HPV infection. Albumin is the most bountiful circulating protein in plasma, and decreased serum albumin was found to be associated with increased systemic inflammation and impaired immune response. Based on the four dietary antioxidants, the researchers developed a nutritional antioxidant score. 
"Our results showed that the women with the lowest quartile of the nutritional antioxidant score had a higher chance of both high-risk and low-risk HPV infection compared with the women with the highest quartile score after adjusting for other factors such as age, race, smoking, alcohol, and the number of sexual partners in past 12 months," notes the paper's lead author Hui-Yi Lin, PhD, Professor of Biostatistics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health. 
Human Papillomavirus is a well-known risk factor for cervical cancer, which is the fourth most common female cancer and contributed to 7.5% of cancer deaths for women worldwide in 2018. Certain HPV strains are more likely to trigger precursor events leading to cancer development. These strains are called oncogenic or high-risk [HR] HPV strains. Almost all cervical cancers are directly linked to previous infection with one or more HR-HPV infections.
"Currently, there is no effective antiviral therapy to clear genital HPV infection," adds Dr. Lin. "It is important to identify modifiable factors, such as antioxidants, associated with oncogenic HPV infection in order to prevent HPV carcinogenesis onset."
 
 
Exercise benefit in breast cancer linked to improved immune responses
Tumors grew more slowly and responded better to immunotherapy in mice that exercised compared with sedentary mice.
Massachusetts General Hospital, April 12, 2021
Exercise training may slow tumor growth and improve outcomes for females with breast cancer - especially those treated with immunotherapy drugs - by stimulating naturally occurring immune mechanisms, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) have found.
Tumors in mouse models of human breast cancer grew more slowly in mice put through their paces in a structured aerobic exercise program than in sedentary mice, and the tumors in exercised mice exhibited an increased anti-tumor immune response. 
"The most exciting finding was that exercise training brought into tumors immune cells capable of killing cancer cells known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+ T cells) and activated them. With more of these cells, tumors grew more slowly in mice that performed exercise training," says co-corresponding author Dai Fukumura, MD, PhD, deputy director of the Edwin L. Steele Laboratories in the Department of Radiation Oncology at MGH.
As Fukumura and colleagues report in the journal Cancer Immunology Research , the beneficial effects of exercise training are dependent on CD8+ T cells; when the researchers depleted these cells in mice, tumors in mice that exercised no longer grew at a slower rate.
They also found evidence that recruitment of CD8+ T cells to tumors was dependent on two chemical recruiters (chemokines) labeled CXCL9 and CXCL11. Levels of these chemokines were increased in mice that exercised, and mice that were genetically engineered to lack the receptor (docking site) for these chemokines did not recruit CD8+ T cells and did not have an anti-tumor benefit.
"Humans whose tumors have higher levels of CD8+ T cells tend to have a better prognosis, respond better to treatment, and have reduced risk of cancer recurrence compared with patients whose tumors have lower levels of the immune cells, effects that were echoed by a reduced incidence of metastasis, or spread, of the cancers in mice that exercised," says co-corresponding author Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, director of the Steele Labs at MGH and Andrew Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology at HMS.
CD8+ T cells are also essential for the success of drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab), which have revolutionized therapy for many types of cancer, but have to date had only limited success in breast cancer. The researchers found that exercise-trained mice displayed a much better response to immune checkpoint blockade, while the drugs did not work at all in sedentary mice. 
"We showed that daily sessions of a moderate-to-vigorous intensity, continuous aerobic exercise training, lasting 30-45 minutes per session, induces a profound reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment that rewires tumor immunity, recruiting and activating CD8+ T cells to an unprecedented level with a non-pharmacological approach. Similar exercise training could be prescribed to a patient referred to an exercise oncology program," says Igor L. Gomes-Santos, PhD, lead author and exercise physiologist and post-doctoral fellow in the Steele Labs.
He notes that current clinical guidelines focus on general wellness, improved fitness levels and quality of life, but not necessarily on improved cancer treatment, especially immunotherapy, and that this lack of evidence limits its application in clinical practice.
More convincing, mechanism-based data are needed to motivate oncologists to discuss exercise training with their patients, to motivate patients to become more active and to expand implementation of outpatient exercise oncology programs, the investigators say.
 
 
Higher dietary total antioxidant capacity associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment
National University of Singapore, April 12 2021. 
 
The results of a study reported on April 7, 2021 in The Journals of Gerontology® Series A revealed a lower risk of cognitive impairment among older individuals who consumed more antioxidants.
The study included 16,703 participants in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, which enrolled men and women aged 45 to 74 years between April 1993 and December 1998. Questionnaires completed upon enrollment provided information concerning dietary and supplement intake that was evaluated for antioxidant content using the Comprehensive Dietary Antioxidant Index and the Vitamin C Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity. Disease status and lifestyle factors were updated during follow-up visits conducted every five to six years. Cognitive function was evaluated 20.2 years after the beginning of the study.
Cognitive impairment was detected among 14.3% of the participants. Among those whose Comprehensive Dietary Antioxidant Index Scores placed them among the top 25% of participants, the risk of having developed cognitive impairment was 16% lower than that of participants among the lowest 25%. Those whose Vitamin C Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity was among the top 25% experienced a risk that was 25% lower. When antioxidant nutrients were individually analyzed, greater daily intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids and flavonoids was associated with a reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment. Among carotenoids, alpha carotene and beta cryptoxanthin were found to be protective and among flavonoids, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavones and flavonols were associated with lower risk.
“These findings suggested that higher total antioxidant capacity of midlife diet was associated with lower odds of cognitive impairment in later life,” authors Li-Ting Sheng and colleagues concluded. “The generalizability of results to other populations remains to be confirmed, and future studies with repeated measures of dietary variables and cognitive functions are still needed.
 
 
Beneficial effect of quercetin on ovalbumin-induced rhinitis
Xian Jiao-tong University (China), April 8, 2021
According to news reporting originating in Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China, research stated, “Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease, characterized by reversible goblet cells, smooth muscle hyperplasia, airflow obstruction, hyperactivity enhanced, ultra-structural remodeling, and airway mucus production. The current experimental study was aimed at scrutinizing quercetin’s inhibitory effect on airway inflammation in mice and its possible mechanism of action.”
The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Xi’an Jiaotong University, “The mice received varying doses of quercetin from 22-30 days (1, 10 and 50 mg / kg, p.o.) and montelukast (10 mg / kg, p.o.). Intranasal OVA has been instilled on the 21 days. Biochemical parameters, spleen weight, physiological parameters, interleukin (IL-113 and IL-6) parameters and immunoglobin-E (IgE) were calculated at the end of the experimental study. To investigate the potential mechanism of action, Paw edema and mast cell de granulation are estimated. Used to measure immune and inflammatory mediators, qRT-PCR technique. Quercetin significantly (P

The Gary Null Show - 04.13.21

Research suggests quercetin can alleviate pulmonary arterial hypertension by regulating inflammatory cytokines
Zhejiang Provincial People’ s Hospital (China), April 9, 2021
 
According to news reporting originating in Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China, research stated, “This study aimed to investigate the effects of quercetin in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a murine model. Thirty-six adult male rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (saline), monocrotaline (MCT) - induced PAH group (MCT group) and quercetin treatment group (prevention group).”
The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Zhejiang Provincial People’ s Hospital, “After modelling, the animals from prevention group received 100 mg/(kg bw/day quercetin by gavage and the gavage for 20 days, while the animals from the other two groups received the same amount of 0.9% sodium chloride saline solution. The mean pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricular index and relative expression levels of HIF-1 (hypoxia-inducible factor 1), ET-1(vascular endothelin-1), TGF-beta 1 (transforming growth factor-beta 1), VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), IL-1 (interleukin-1), IL-6 (interleukin-6) and TNF-alpha (tumour necrosis factor alpha) in lung tissues significantly increased in MCT group compared with the control group, 21 days after modelling. The levels of HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) and NAC (N-acetyl-L-cysteine) significantly increased compared with the control group. The treatment with quercetin significantly decreased the level of mean PAH, right ventricular index and relative expression levels of H1F-1, ET-1, TGF-beta 1, VEGF, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in lung tissues compared with MCT group and significantly decreased the levels of HGF and NAC. In vitro experiment with PCEC (pulmonary capillary endothelial cells) from the three groups showed that in the MCT group the cell proliferation was significantly decreased and the apoptosis was significantly increased compared with the control group, while the quercetin treatment inhibited the MCT-induced cell apoptosis and promoted cell proliferation.”
According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Quercetin can alleviate PAH by regulating the inflammatory cytokines, promoting cell proliferation and inhibition of cell apoptosis.”
This research has been peer-reviewed.
 
 
 
Intermittent fasting shown to provide broad range of health benefits in new study
Texas State University, April 7, 2021
Intermittent fasting may provide significant health benefits, including improved cardiometabolic health, improved blood chemistry and reduced risk for diabetes, new research conducted in part at Texas State University indicates. 
Matthew McAllister, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, co-authored the study with Liliana Renteria, graduate research assistant in the Department of Health and Human Performance, along with Brandon Pigg and Hunter Waldman of the Department of Kinesiology at Mississippi State University. Their research, "Time-restricted feeding improves markers of Cardiometabolic health in physically active college-age men: A 4-week randomized pre-post pilot study," is published in the journal Nutrition Research (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2019.12.001).
"What we are doing is time-restricted feeding. It is a way to use fasting each day to promote various aspects of cardiometabolic health," McAllister said. 
Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has been shown to improve body composition and blood lipids, as well as reduce markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. However, those results originated from rodent models and studies with small human samples. In the Texas State study, 22 men were divided into two groups to complete a 28-day study. Subjects ate daily during one eight-hour period, for example, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or between noon and 8 p.m. For 16 hours of the day, they did not eat or drink anything other than water. 
While both groups underwent TRF, one group's caloric intake was controlled during meal periods to ensure they ate the same amount as before the study, while members of the other group were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. 
"My initial thought was that if you are going to restrict the time, you would eat fewer calories. And the reduction of daily calories would cause weight loss and other health benefits," McAllister said. "But these benefits are found with no change in caloric intake—things like loss in body fat, reduced blood pressure, reduced inflammation.”
Fasting blood samples were analyzed for glucose and lipids, as well as adiponectin, human growth hormone, insulin, cortisol, c-reactive protein, superoxide dismutase, total nitrate/nitrite and glutathione. Results showed that both groups experienced significant reductions in body fat, blood pressure and significant increases in adiponectin and HDL-c. No change in caloric intake was detected among members of either group.
 
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked with six unhealthy eating behaviors
University of Minnesota Medical School, April 12, 2021
A new probe into the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed correlations to six unhealthy eating behaviors, according to a study by the University of Minnesota Medical School and School of Public Health. Researchers say the most concerning finding indicates a slight increase or the re-emergence of eating disorders, which kill roughly 10,200 people every year -- about one person every 52 minutes.
U of M Medical School's Melissa Simone, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, collaborated with School of Public Health professor and head of the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH, to learn from study participants in Neumark-Sztainer's Project EATbetween April and May 2020.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the rapid implementation of public health policies to reduce transmission of the virus. While these protections are necessary, the disruptions to daily life associated with the ongoing pandemic may have significant negative consequences for the risk of eating disorders and symptoms," said Simone, who is the lead author of the study. "Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates across all psychiatric health concerns, and therefore, it is important to try to make links between the consequences of the pandemic and disordered eating behaviors.
The study aimed to understand potential associations between stress, psychological distress, financial difficulties and changes in eating behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic through the analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. Simone's findings, published in theInternational Journal of Eating Disorders, found six key themes of eating behavior changes:
Mindless eating and snacking;
Increased food consumption;
Generalized decrease in appetite or dietary intake;
Eating to cope;
Pandemic-related reductions in dietary intake;
And, a re-emergence or marked increase in eating disorder symptoms.
Approximately 8% of those studied reported extreme unhealthy weight control behaviors, 53% had less extreme unhealthy weight control behaviors and 14% reported binge eating. The study revealed that these outcomes were significantly associated with poorer stress management, greater depressive symptoms and moderate or extreme financial difficulties.
"There has been a lot of focus on obesity and its connection with COVID-19. It is also important to focus on the large number of people who have been engaging in disordered eating and are at risk for eating disorders during and following the pandemic," said Neumark-Sztainer, who is the principal investigator of Project EAT. "The majority of the young adults in our study are from diverse ethnic/racial and lower income backgrounds, who often do not receive the services they need. To ensure health inequities do not increase, we need to meet the needs of these populations."
Simone added, "The economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely persist long beyond the dissemination of a vaccine. Because our findings suggest that moderate or severe financial difficulties may be linked with disordered eating behaviors, it is essential that eating disorder preventive interventions and treatment efforts be affordable, easily accessible and widely disseminated to those at heightened risk. As such, online or mobile-based interventions may prove to be effective and accessible modes for targeted intervention efforts."
This study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL116892, R35HL139853: Principal Investigator: D. Neumark-Sztainer), the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (TL1R002493, UL1TR002494), and the National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH082761).
 
 
Ginseng and anti-obesity: Does Asian variety offer greater weight loss hope?
Tennessee State University, April 5, 2021
 
Studies comparing the differing anti-obesity effects of Asian and American ginseng are urgently needed, it has been claimed, not least because they are thought to have opposite medical effects in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
 
Writing in a review in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, scientists from Tennessee State University said a number of investigations had been conducted on ginseng in preventing and treating of obesity.
 
However, the effect and the relevant mechanisms behind how ginseng works as an anti-obesity treatment are still controversial, they added, and the issue is clouded by the differing uses of American and Asian ginseng in TCM.
 
The former is used to treat yin manifestations of Qi (life energy), while the latter tackle yang manifestations. Therefore, Asian ginseng has often been used to help treat, fatigue, poor appetite, diarrhoea, breath shortness, feeble pulse, spontaneous perspiration, febrile diseases, amnesia, insomnia and impotence.
 
On the other hand, American ginseng is used to treat diseases such as cough, blood sputum, dysphoria, fatigue and thirst.
 
“Although the potential anti-obesity effect of Asian ginseng has been investigated in mice and humans in Asia in the last several decades, the anti-obesity effect and mechanism of ginseng are still not fully understood, especially in humans,” wrote the researchers. “Moreover, high-quality studies of the effects of ginseng in the United States are rare, particularly whether and how American ginseng prevents obesity is almost blank.”
 
They said this was area ripe for further investigation, and pointed to their own unpublished data which showed that while Asian ginseng significantly inhibited fat accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells, American ginseng has no such effect at the same concentration (1 mg/ml). They suggest this could be due increased fat accumulation caused by one of the major ginsenosides in American ginseng that is not detectable in Asian ginseng
 
 
“The different anti-obesity effect between American ginseng and Asian ginseng may also result from the different profiles of other ginsenosides,” they added.
 
“There is only one study showing that Asian ginseng extract intake exerted a weight loss effect in obese women,” they wrote. “American ginseng extract or whole plant/berry has not been investigated for anti-obesity in humans. In addition, there is no report using human primary cells investigating the antiobesity effect of ginseng and ginsenosides.”
 
They argue that standardised ginseng production is sorely needed to overcome the fact that the results of existing studies “are controversial”.
 
“These controversial results at least partly come from the variety of the quality of ginseng, especially the whole extract and juice. The quantity and composition of ginsenosides in ginseng plants are dramatically influenced by species, age, and part of the plant, cultivation methods, harvesting season, preservation methods and geographical distribution,” they state. “However, almost all ginsenosides or extracts in these studies were prepared in the individual labs or from different companies, it is almost impossible to keep the quality at the same level, particularly the whole extract.”
 
The authors concluded; “Although Asian and American ginsengs have similar profiles of active ingredients, the different percentage of crude saponins (4.8%–5.2% in Asian ginseng vs. 7.0%–7.3% in American ginseng) and the specific ginsenoside (Rf only in Asian ginseng, F11 only in American ginseng) may contribute to the different functions of these two ginsengs.” “Therefore, it is very important to compare the medical effects using modern scientific approaches.”
 
 
 
Study links prenatal phthalate exposure to altered information processing in infants
University of Illinois, April 6, 2021
Exposure to phthalates, a class of chemicals widely used in packaging and consumer products, is known to interfere with normal hormone function and development in human and animal studies. Now researchers have found evidence linking pregnant women's exposure to phthalates to altered cognitive outcomes in their infants.
Most of the findings involved slower information processing among infants with higher phthalate exposure levels, with males more likely to be affected depending on the chemical involved and the order of information presented to the infants.
Reported in the journal Neurotoxicology, the study is part of the Illinois Kids Development Study, which tracks the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals on children's physical and behavioral development from birth to middle childhood. Now in its seventh year, IKIDS has enrolled hundreds of participants and is tracking chemical exposures in pregnant women and developmental outcomes in their children. Susan Schantz, a neurotoxicologist and professor emerita of comparative biosciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is the principal investigator of the study. She is a faculty member in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, which houses the IKIDS program at Illinois.
"IKIDS is part of a larger initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program. It is tracking the impact of prenatal chemical exposures and maternal psychosocial stress on children's growth and development over time," Schantz said. "We measure numerous birth outcomes, including birth weight and gestational age. We also assess infants' cognition by studying their looking behavior. This allows us to get measures of working memory, attention and information-processing speed."
The researchers analyzed metabolites of three commonly occurring phthalates in urine samples regularly collected from the pregnant women in the study. The chemical exposure data were used in combination with assessments of the women's infants when the children were 7.5 months old.
The researchers used a well-established method that gives insight into the reasoning of children too young to express themselves verbally: Infants typically look longer at unfamiliar or unexpected images or events.
The team used an infrared eye-tracker to follow each infant's gaze during several laboratory trials. With the infant sitting on a caregiver's lap, researchers first familiarized the child with two identical images of a face. After the infant learned to recognize the face, the researchers showed that same face paired with an unfamiliar one.
"In repeated trials, half of the 244 infants tested saw one set of faces as familiar, and half learned to recognize a different set of faces as familiar," Schantz said. "By analyzing the time spent looking at the faces, we could determine both the speed with which the infants processed new information and assess their ability to pay attention."
The assessment linked pregnant women's exposure to most of the phthalates that were assessed with slower information processing in their infants, but the outcome depended on the specific chemical, the sex of the infant and which set of faces the infant viewed as familiar. Male infants, in particular, tended to process information more slowly if their mothers had been exposed to higher concentrations of phthalates known to interfere with androgenic hormones.
The specific characteristics of faces presented to the infants in the familiarization trials also appeared to play a role in the outcome, the researchers reported. Phthalate-exposed children who were first familiarized with faces from Set 2 were more likely to experience slower processing speed than those familiarized with faces from Set 1. The finding is perplexing, Schantz said, but is likely related to differences in the infants' preferences for the faces in the two sets. It also may be an indication that familiarization with the Set 2 faces is a more sensitive detector of changes in processing speed related to phthalate exposure.
"Most previous studies of the relationship between prenatal exposure to phthalates and cognition have focused on early and middle childhood," Schantz said. "This new work suggests that some of these associations can be detected much earlier in a child's life."
 
Heart failure and stroke rising in men under 40
University of Gothenburg (Germany), April 8, 2021
Heart failure and stroke are unusual diagnoses among younger people. But they are now clearly on the rise in men below the age of 40, according to a University of Gothenburg study. The scientists have found links to obesity and low fitness in the upper teens.
The present study, published in Journal of Internal Medicine, includes data on 1,258,432 men who, at an average age of 18.3 years, enlisted for military service in Sweden between 1971 and 1995.
Particulars of the men's weight, height and physical fitness on enlistment were merged with data in the National Board of Health and Welfare's National Patient Register and Cause of Death Register for the period 1991-2016. From when they enlisted, the men were thus monitored over a period exceeding 20 years.
The proportion of participants who were overweight at the time of enlistment, i.e. with a body mass index (BMI) of 25-30, increased from 6.6 to 11.2 percent between 1971 and 1995, while the proportion with obesity (BMI over 30) rose from 1.0 to 2.6 percent. During the same period, their fitness level at the time of enlistment also declined slightly.
"These factors -- that is, overweight, obesity and low fitness -- partly explain the large increase in heart failure we see in the study, and the rise in stroke as well," states David Åberg. An Associate Professor at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and specialist doctor at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Åberg is the study's first author.
"It's pleasing to see, despite rising obesity, a fairly sharp fall in heart attacks among these younger men, and also their reduced mortality from cardiovascular diseases," he continues.
Heart-failure cases within 21 years of enlistment rose, according to the study, by 69 percent -- from 0.49 per 1,000 of the men who had enlisted in the first five years (1971-75) to 0.83/1,000 of those who enlisted in the last five (1991-95).
The number of stroke cases -- cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage -- showed a similar trend. The increase for cerebral infarction was 32 percent, from 0.68 for the first five-year cohort to 0.9 per 1,000 for the last. For cerebral hemorrhage the rise was 20 percent, from 0.45 to 0.54 per 1,000.
In contrast, heart attacks within 21 years of enlistment fell by 43 percent, from 1.4 to 0.8 per 1,000, of the cohorts enlisting first and last respectively. The proportion of deaths from all cardiovascular disease also decreased, by 50 percent -- from 1.5 to 0.74 per 1,000.
The fact that the trends for cardiovascular diseases move in differing directions over time suggests that other, unknown factors are involved as well. According to the researchers, post-enlistment weight trends may be one such factor, but stress and drug use may be others. Especially for heart attacks, researchers believe that a sharp fall in smoking underlies the decline. The fact remains, however, that overweight and obesity are influential.
"We see that heart attacks would have decreased even more if it hadn't been for the rise in overweight and obesity. Our results thus provide strong support for thinking that obesity and, to some extent, low fitness by the age of 18 affect early-onset cardiovascular disease. So at societal level, it's important to try to get more physical activity, and to have already established good eating habits by adolescence, while being less sedentary," David Åberg concludes.
 
Clinical trial shows benefit of yoga for side effects of prostate cancer treatment
University of Pennsylvania, April 7, 2021
Men who attended a structured yoga class twice a week during prostate cancer radiation treatment reported less fatigue and better sexual and urinary function than those who didn't, according to a clinical trial led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. It is the first randomized trial to look at the effect of twice-weekly yoga on the side-effects and quality of life issues caused by prostate cancer treatment. The results published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics.
All of the patients in the trial underwent between six and nine weeks of external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The patients were randomized into two groups: one arm participated in a yoga class that met twice a week and the other arm served as a control group. Patients who already practiced yoga on their own were not eligible for the study, nor were patients with a history of prior radiation therapy or those with metastatic disease.
Only two instructors led classes for this study, with the lead instructor teaching 75 percent of the classes. Each session lasted 75 minutes, beginning with five minutes of breathing and centering techniques and ending with five minutes of Savasana, a common yoga position. Typical sessions incorporated sitting, standing, and reclining positions that were modified using props to adapt to each patient's needs and restrictions.
Patients were primarily evaluated on their level of fatigue. Each man filled out a nine-item questionnaire assessing fatigue severity and impact on daily life. The first questionnaire was given between two and three weeks before the start of radiotherapy, then twice a week while receiving radiotherapy, with a final survey filled out within a week of their last yoga class or last radiation treatment, depending on the assigned study arm.
"At their baseline, before patients started treatment, patients in both groups were on the lower end of the scale, meaning they reported lower amounts of fatigue," said the trial's principal investigator Neha Vapiwala, MD, an associate professor of Radiation Oncology. "But as treatment went on, we observed a difference in the two groups." Patients in the yoga group reported lower fatigue scores over time, as they attended more yoga sessions, relative to where they started. Patients who did not participate in yoga trended in the opposite direction, reporting greater fatigue as treatment progressed.
"Levels of patient-reported fatigue are expected to increase by around the fourth or fifth week of a typical treatment course, but that did not happen in the yoga group," Vapiwala said. "Both the severity of the fatigue as well as the patients' ability to go about their normal lives appeared to be positively impacted in the yoga group."
Researchers also evaluated both groups in terms of their sexual health. Sexual dysfunction - including but not limited to erectile dysfunction (ED) - is reported by up to 85 percent of radiation therapy patients during treatment, often due to the concurrent use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The study utilized the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire, in which scores range from 0-25. Scores greater than 21 are considered normal and scores below 12 indicate moderate to severe ED. Both groups started out with scores of around 11, and were balanced in terms of ADT exposure; but while the yoga group's score ended up largely unchanged from baseline, the non-yoga group saw a decline over the course of treatment.
"Yoga is known to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, which is one of several postulated theories that may explain why this group did not demonstrate declining scores, as seen in the control group," Vapiwala said. "That may also explain the yoga patients' improved urinary function scores, another finding of this trial." Vapiwala pointed out that the findings on improved or stable urinary function are consistent with other research on the effects of physical therapy on pelvic floor muscles.
The trial also found that while the emotional well-being of both groups increased as patients progressed through treatment, the evaluation scores in the yoga group rose more rapidly than in the control group. An evaluation of physical well-being showed a similar pattern
 
Spanking may affect the brain development of a child
Study shows it could alter a child's neural responses to their environment in similar ways to a child experiencing more severe violence
Harvard University, April, 12, 2021
Spanking may affect a child's brain development in similar ways to more severe forms of violence, according to a new study led by Harvard researchers. 
The research, published recently in the journal Child Development, builds on existing studies that show heightened activity in certain regions of the brains of children who experience abuse in response to threat cues. 
The group found that children who had been spanked had a greater neural response in multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), including in regions that are part of the salience network. These areas of the brain respond to cues in the environment that tend to be consequential, such as a threat, and may affect decision-making and processing of situations.
"We know that children whose families use corporal punishment are more likely to develop anxiety, depression, behavior problems, and other mental health problems, but many people don't think about spanking as a form of violence," said Katie A. McLaughlin, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences, director of the Stress & Development Lab in the Department of Psychology, and the senior researcher on the study. "In this study, we wanted to examine whether there was an impact of spanking at a neurobiological level, in terms of how the brain is developing."
According to the study's authors, corporal punishment has been linked to the development of mental health issues, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and substance use disorders. And recent studies show that approximately half of parents in U.S. studies reported spanking their children in the past year and one-third in the past week. However, the relationship between spanking and brain activity has not previously been studied. 
McLaughlin and her colleagues--including Jorge Cuartas, first author of the study and a doctoral candidate in the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and David Weissman, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology's Stress & Development Lab--analyzed data from a large study of children between the ages of three and 11. They focused on 147 children around ages 10 and 11 who had been spanked, excluding children who had also experienced more severe forms of violence. 
Each child lay in an MRI machine and watched a computer screen on which were displayed different images of actors making "fearful" and "neutral" faces. A scanner captured the child's brain activity in response to each kind of face, and those images were analyzed to determine whether the faces sparked different patterns of brain activity in children who were spanked compared to those who were not. 
"On average, across the entire sample, fearful faces elicited greater activation than neutral faces in many regions throughout the brain... and children who were spanked demonstrated greater activation in multiple regions of PFC to fearful relative to neutral faces than children who were never spanked," researchers wrote. 
By contrast, "(t)here were no regions of the brain where activation to fearful relative to neutral faces differed between children who were abused and children who were spanked."
The findings are in line with similar research conducted on children who had experienced severe violence, suggesting that "while we might not conceptualize corporal punishment to be a form of violence, in terms of how a child's brain responds, it's not all that different than abuse," said McLaughlin. "It's more a difference of degree than of type."
Researchers said the study is a first step towards further interdisciplinary analysis of spanking's potential effects on children's brain development and lived experiences. 
"These findings aligned with the predictions from other perspectives on the potential consequences of corporal punishment," studied in fields such as developmental psychology and social work, said Cuartas. "By identifying certain neural pathways that explain the consequences of corporal punishment in the brain, we can further suggest that this kind of punishment might be detrimental to children and we have more avenues to explore it."
However, they noted that their findings are not applicable to the individual life of each child. 
"It's important to consider that corporal punishment does not impact every child the same way, and children can be resilient if exposed to potential adversities," said Cuartas. "But the important message is that corporal punishment is a risk that can increase potential problems for children's development, and following a precautionary principle, parents and policymakers should work toward trying to reduce its prevalence." 
Ultimately, added McLaughlin, "we're hopeful that this finding may encourage families not to use this strategy, and that it may open people's eyes to the potential negative consequences of corporal punishment in ways they haven't thought of before."

The Gary Null Show - 04.12.21

Sufficient vitamin D during gestation and early life can lower susceptibility to allergy in infants
Wageningen University (Netherlands), April 5, 2021
 
According to news originating from Wageningen, Netherlands, the research stated, “Worldwide, the prevalence of allergies in young children, but also vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and in newborns is rising. Vitamin D modulates the development and activity of the immune system and a low vitamin D status during pregnancy and in early life might be associated with an increased risk to develop an allergy during early childhood.”
Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Wageningen University and Research: “This review studies the effects of vitamin D during gestation and early life, on allergy susceptibility in infants. The bioactive form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D, inhibits maturation and results in immature dendritic cells that cause a decreased differentiation of naive T cells into effector T cells. Nevertheless, the development of regulatory T cells and the production of interleukin-10 was increased. Consequently, a more tolerogenic immune response developed against antigens. Secondly, binding of 1,25(OH)2D to epithelial cells induces the expression of tight junction proteins resulting in enhanced epithelial barrier function. Thirdly, 1,25(OH)2D increased the expression of anti-microbial peptides by epithelial cells that also promoted the defense mechanism against pathogens, by preventing an invasive penetration of pathogens.”
According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Immune intervention by vitamin D supplementation can mitigate the disease burden from asthma and allergy. In conclusion, our review indicates that a sufficient vitamin D status during gestation and early life can lower the susceptibility to develop an allergy in infants although there remains a need for more causal evidence.”
 
Training in compassion improves the well-being of relatives to people with mental illness
Aarhus University (Denmark), April 7, 2021
If relatives of people with mental illness become better at accepting the difficult emotions and life events they experience - which is what training in compassion is about - their anxiety, depression and stress is reduced. These are the results of a new study from the Danish Center for Mindfulness at Aarhus University.
Being a relative of a person with a mental illness can be very burdensome. It can feel like a great responsibility, and many people struggle with feelings of fear, guilt, shame and anger. A new study from the Danish Center for Mindfulness shows that eight weeks of training in compassion can significantly improve the well-being of relatives. 
Compassion is a human quality that is anchored in the recognition of and desire to relieve suffering. In other words, compassion occurs when we come into contact with our own or others' suffering and feel motivated to relieve our own or others pain.
"After completing the course, the relatives had increased their well-being on several parameters. They could deal with the illness in a new and more skillful way, and we saw that the training reduced their symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress," says psychologist and PhD student Nanja Holland Hansen, who is behind the study.
And the positive results were maintained after a six month follow-up. 
Trying to fix what is difficult
"The relatives learned that the more they turn towards what is difficult, the more skillful they may act. For example, relatives often try to 'fix' the problem or the challenge - so as to relieve their loved ones of what is difficult. That's a huge pressure to constantly deal with, and very few people can bear it," says Nanja Holland Hansen. 
Living with chronic fear
She goes on to explain that training in compassion helps people to find the strength and courage to bear pain and suffering when life is difficult. It may seem both sensible and intuitive to guard yourself from the confrontation or avoid what is difficult and unpleasant. But this is the paradox of the training, explains the researcher. Because it is precisely actions and thoughts like these that shut down our compassion and thereby maintain the suffering. 
"Fear and grief are emotions that take up a lot space for relatives of people with mental illness. For example chronic fear, which is a real fear that parents of a child with schizophrenia have about whether their child is going to commit suicide, or whether a child with autism will ever enjoy a 'normal life'," explains Nanja Holland Hansen and continues:
"Our suffering is maintained inside of us when we don't work with it. To avoid feeling pain, we may resort to behaviour such as working too much or buying things that we don't need. It's therefore in all these everyday actions that our compassion training becomes important and can be used to help alleviate what is difficult," she says.
No one escapes
The purpose of training in compassion is thus more than just feeling empathy or worrying about another person. 
"Not a single person can completely avoid experiencing painful things in their life. In this way we're all the same. But what isn't the same for everyone is our ability to deal with the pain and suffering we experience. Training programmes in compassion have been developed because the research shows that we can train and strengthen our mental health. With systematic training of compassion, we generate more attention - and understanding of - our own thoughts, feelings and behaviour. And this helps us to develop the tools and skills to engage in healthier relations with ourselves and others," she explains. 
A total of 161 relatives of people with mental illness participated in the study. This makes the study one of the largest of its kind in the world, and also the first scientific randomised clinical trial carried out with relatives in Denmark. The relatives were between 18 and 75 of age and were family members to people with various psychiatric disorders such as e.g. ADHD, schizophrenia and depression. 
Meditation as homework
The relatives met once a week in groups of twenty participants over an eight-week period. Each session lasted two hours and was structured with small group exercises, large group discussions, instruction in the theme of the week and meditation. The homework consisted of twenty minutes of daily meditation.
"There is definitely a shortage of offers for these relatives. They're often told that they should remember to take care of themselves, but they haven't learned how to. We found that those who were involved in the study received the tools for precisely this," says Nanja Holland Hansen.
The results have just been published in the scientific journal JAMA.
"My hope is that local authorities and regions can offer this type of intervention for relatives. It should be an option and could easily be incorporated into our healthcare system. Economically and socially, a healthy person going on sick leave solely because he or she is a relative is a huge loss," says the researcher.
[Billedtekst:]: "Up to fifty percent of relatives of people with mental illness risk becoming ill themselves. That's why it's important that we also keep them and their well-being in mind," says Nanja Holland Hansen.
 
Sesaminol prevents Parkinson's disease by activating the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway
Osaka City University (Japan), March 331, 2021
 
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of substantia nigra neurons due to oxidative stress. Sesaminol has strong antioxidant and anti-cancer effects. We investigated the preventive effect on PD as a new physiological action of sesaminol produced from sesaminol glycoside using in vitro and in vivo PD models. To prepare an in vitro PD model, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) was added to human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y cells). The viability of SH-SY5Y cells decreased dose-dependently following 6-OHDA treatment, but the addition of sesaminol restored viability to the control level. 6-OHDA increased intracellular reactive oxygen species production, and the addition of sesaminol significantly suppressed this increase. No Nrf2 expression in the nucleus was observed in the control group, but a slight increase was observed in the 6-OHDA group. The sesaminol group showed strong expression of Nrf2 in the cytoplasm and nucleus. NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) activity was enhanced in the 6-OHDA group and further enhanced in the sesaminol group. Furthermore, the neurotoxine rotenone was orally administrated to mice to prepare an in vivo PD model. The motor function of rotenone-treated mice was shorter than that of the control group, but a small amount of sesaminol restored it to the control level. The intestinal motility in the rotenone group was significantly lower than that in the control group, but it remained at the control level in the sesaminol group. The expression of α-synuclein in the substantia nigra increased in the rotenone group but decreased in the sesaminol group. The rotenone group exhibited shortening and damage to the colonic mucosa, but these abnormalities of the colonic mucosa were scarcely observed in the sesaminol group. These results suggest that sesaminol has a preventative effect on PD.
 
 
Study finds connection between lifestyle choices, Alzheimer disease
Brigham Young University, April 8, 2021
 
A recent study out of BYU has linked lifestyle choice to Alzheimer's disease, at least to some degree, through findings that show a possible energy gap between the amount of glucose and ketones being used to power the brain.
BYU professor Ben Bikman, who studies diabetes and insulin resistance, thought of a fundamental question surrounding Alzheimer's disease and insulin resistance in the brain.
Bikman said there has been growing evidence that the brains in humans with Alzheimer's disease are deficient in the use of glucose.
"The brain has a certain energy demand, let's say that is 100%," Bikman said. "In most instances, glucose is providing virtually all of that energy, nearly 100% all of the time. There is a secondary fuel known as ketones, so the average brain is consuming almost all of its energy from glucose with a little bit of energy coming from ketones at any moment. In some individuals, the brain starts to become deficient in its ability to use glucose. So now glucose can only provide about 60% of that energy, and then ketones would be expected to fill up the rest of that energy. The tragedy is that the average individual has almost undetectable levels of ketones and that's entirely a matter of lifestyle."
This lack of ketones as well as the brain's resistance to insulin is linked to lifestyle. Insulin is expected to stimulate tissues or cells to take in the glucose and use it for energy.
As the brain becomes more insulin resistant, it can't take in glucose anymore and this is something Bikman said has been shown in other research. The BYU research expanded on some of those findings.
"We found that indeed the expression of genes involved in glucose metabolism was significantly down, very broad across every cell type we looked at in the brain," Bikman said. "All of the cell types we looked at had significant reductions in glucose-related genes, but the ketone-related genes were almost totally normal."
This is key because it shows that if the brain can receive more ketones, there is a possibility that one could overcome that energy gap. While it may not be able to be filled in with glucose, it can be with ketones but ketones need to be produced by one's body.
With many people having diets that are high in refined sugars and starches, insulin is elevated all of the time, and ketones are only produced when insulin levels are low. These conditions include fasting or low-carb diets, also known as keto diets.
Ph.D. student Erin Saito is another one of the lead authors of the study and is doing this project as her dissertation. Another collaborator included Washington University of Saint Louis, which gave the BYU research team access to various brain banks.
"BYU is a wonderfully collaborative environment, not only encouraging collaborations within the university but also outside of the university," Bikman said. "Thus communicating with our internal and external collaborators was very easy and very natural. There was very much a common interest to work on this project together, a common enthusiasm for answering a question that had not been asked yet. It would not have been possible without that mutual collaboration and enthusiasm."
He added that managing the project with enthusiastic students was a delight, making it easy because of the enthusiasm surrounding the project.
Bikman said it is gratifying for him to be able to contribute to what little is known about Alzheimer's disease, because traditional strategies and approaches have continued to fail.
"Looking at Alzheimer's disease as a metabolic problem, I would say, is the greatest breakthrough in our understanding of the disease in decades," Bikman said.
Looking at it through the metabolic side of things allows people to possibly detect the problem years in advance, looking at changes in brain glucose metabolism long before Alzheimer's sets in.
Bikman believes that someday the metabolic approach to Alzheimer's will be the standard of care.
Moving forward, Bikman said he hopes that people feel empowered when it comes to Alzheimer's disease. He wants people to not look at it as a passive process where they are the victim, but rather acknowledging that their lifestyle choices can either act as the culprit or the cure.
"For too long we have viewed Alzheimer's disease as a disease that is no respecter of person, no respecter of choices and that is simply not true," Bikman said. "We have long known that people with metabolic disorders, like type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, are at significantly greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and we have more evidence suggesting that dietary choices and changes do make significant improvements in someone's cognition."
Even someone in the midst of Alzheimer's disease can see improvements in memory and learning with a lifestyle change, according to Bikman, and he added that he hopes this evidence will help to strengthen that view and empower individuals to take matters into their own hands.
 
 
New Study Shows Broad Benefits Of High-CBD Cannabis
Health Canada Research Institute, April 6, 2021
With CBD exploding in popularity, new studies continue to reveal its potential benefits.
A new study published in the journal Aging-US reported that high-CBD cannabis has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties and may even help reduce COVID symptoms.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-psychoactive compound in cannabis and is legal in all 50 states.
“Cannabis sativa, especially those high in the anti-inflammatory cannabinoid cannabidiol, has been found to alter gene expression and inflammation and harbour anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties,” the researchers at Health Canada concluded.
As such, they say specific CBD extracts “may become a useful and safe addition to the prevention/treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy.”
Researchers hypothesized that high-CBD C. sativa extracts may be used to down-regulate ACE2 expression in target COVID-19 tissues. Using artificial 3D human models of oral, airway and intestinal tissues, they identified 13 high-CBD C. sativa extracts that decrease ACE2 protein levels. Some C. sativa extracts down-regulate serine protease TMPRSS2, another critical protein required for SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells.
This is not the first study to suggest that CBD could combat respiratory illnesses like COVID.
In April 2020, researchers at the University of Nebraska and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute published a peer-reviewed article suggesting that CBD could be included in the treatment regimen for the COVID-19 coronavirus as THC and CBD both appeared to reduce the severe lung inflammation associated with the virus.
In July 2020, researchers at the Dental College of Georgia and Medical College of Georgia found early evidence that Cannabidiol, or CBD, may help reduce the cytokine storm and excessive lung inflammation that killed many patients with COVID-19.
“Our laboratory studies indicate pure CBD can help the lungs recover from the overwhelming inflammation, or cytokine storm, caused by the COVID-19 virus, and restore healthier oxygen levels in the body,” says co-author Dr. Jack Yu, physician-scientist and chief of pediatric plastic surgery at MCG.
In October 2020, the same research group published a follow-up peer-reviewed study identifying the mechanism they believe was responsible for the encouraging results of using CBD to reduce lung inflammation.
“One way CBD appears to reduce the “cytokine storm” that damages the lungs and kills many patients with COVID-19 is by enabling an increase in levels of a natural peptide called apelin, which is known to reduce inflammation and whose levels are dramatically reduced in the face of this storm,” they concluded.
While this is incredibly encouraging news for relief from COVID, businesses that sell CBD edibles and oils are not allowed to mention these benefits in advertising because the FDA has not officially approved it for any specific treatment. Apparently, experimental vaccines are okay to advertise but natural plant extracts aren’t.
The new study above is just another to suggest cannabis and CBD can help fight cancer. There have been many studies as well as countless confirmed anecdotal accounts.
In 2018, a 44-year-old UK mom refused chemo for her aggressive triple-negative breast cancer. She opted for CBD oil instead and was declared cancer-free five months later.
In 2019, an 81-year-old diagnosed with lung cancer shrunk his tumors in half by taking CBD oil. The case study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Sage.
More recently, a Colorado State University study showed that CBD extract can slow growth and kill cancer cells in aggressive brain cancer.
“Our experiments showed that CBD slows cancer cell growth and is toxic to both canine and human glioblastoma cell lines,” said Chase Gross, a doctoral student participating in the study. “Importantly, the differences in anti-cancer affects between CBD isolate and extract appear to be negligible.”
That’s not all, CBD has shown potential for treating a variety of other ailments such as arthritis, seizures, chronic pain, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and more – with little to no severe side effects that are common with leading pharmaceuticals.
Big Pharma hopes more people don’t discover natural treatments to common health issues, like CBD, because it could severely impact their profits and influence.
 
 
Polyphenol pills counter inflammation in women on hormonal contraceptives: RCT
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), April 7, 2021
Supplements containing a mixture of polyphenols may counter increases in pro-inflammatory markers in women of childbearing age using combined hormonal contraceptives, says a new study.
The supplements, formulated with resveratrol, catechin, quercetin, chlorogenic acid and cyanidin, were also found to prevent the increases in markers of systemic oxidative stress like F2-isoprostane, according to findings published in Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids .
“The increase in biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress observed in the present study were possibly caused by the use of hormonal contraceptives, as verified in the [control group], and this change was not observed in the group that used polyphenols,” wrote researchers from the Institute of Cardiology and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.
“Therefore, the results of this polyphenol supplementation showed that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects observed in the studied population is due to the reduction in plasma levels of PGE2, supporting the conceptual hypothesis, by its action on the inflammatory cascade, probably by COX inhibition.”
 
Study details
The Brazil-based researchers recruited 40 women aged between 25 and 35 using contraceptives, and randomly assigned them to receive either placebo or polyphenols (3,000 mg per day) for 15 days. “A higher dosage was chosen in order to reduce the risk of food ingestion of control group to overcome the dosage of polyphenol supplementation in the [polyphenol group],” they explained.
Data from the 28 women who completed the study indicated that, as expected, markers of inflammation (PGE2 and C-reactive protein) and oxidative stress (F2-isoprostane) increased significantly in women in the placebo group. However, no such increases were observed in the polyphenol group.
“Among participants of the polyphenols group, an inverse correlation was observed between the consumption of polyphenols estimated by the [food frequency questionnaire] with PGE2 levels at the end of the study. This finding had not yet been previously described in the literature and reinforces the hypothesis of the present study regarding the action of polyphenols in reducing PGE2 levels,” wrote the researchers.
“The liver is the main organ involved in the metabolism of polyphenols, and metabolites are secreted in bile and urine. Excretion of polyphenols in participants of the [polyphenol group] was significantly higher than in the [control group], confirming the effective ingestion of capsules and absorption of compounds, which can vary depending on the amount ingested, the chemical structure of the substance and the intestinal flora of the subjects.”
 
Childhood diet and exercise creates healthier, less anxious adults
University of California Riverside, April 9, 2021
Exercise and a healthy diet in childhood leads to adults with bigger brains and lower levels of anxiety, according to new UC Riverside research in mice. 
Though diet and exercise are consistently recommended as ways to promote health, this study is the first to examine the long-lasting, combined effects of both factors when they are experienced early in life.
"Any time you go to the doctor with concerns about your weight, almost without fail, they recommend you exercise and eat less," said study lead and UCR physiology doctoral student Marcell Cadney. "That's why it's surprising most studies only look at diet or exercise separately. In this study, we wanted to include both."
The researchers determined that early-life exercise generally reduced anxious behaviors in adults. It also led to an increase in adult muscle and brain mass. When fed "Western" style diets high in fat and sugar, the mice not only became fatter, but also grew into adults that preferred unhealthy foods.
These findings have recently been published in the journal Physiology and Behavior. To obtain them, the researchers divided the young mice into four groups -- those with access to exercise, those without access, those fed a standard, healthy diet and those who ate a Western diet. 
Mice started on their diets immediately after weaning, and continued on them for three weeks, until they reached sexual maturity. After an additional eight weeks of "washout," during which all mice were housed without wheels and on the healthy diet, the researchers did behavioral analysis, measured aerobic capacity, and levels of several different hormones.
One of those they measured, leptin, is produced by fat cells. It helps control body weight by increasing energy expenditure and signaling that less food is required. Early-life exercise increased adult leptin levels as well as fat mass in adult mice, regardless of the diet they ate.
Previously, the research team found that eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter the microbiome for life, even if they later eat healthier. Going forward, the team plans to investigate whether fat or sugar is more responsible for the negative effects they measured in Western-diet-fed mice.
Together, both studies offer critical opportunities for health interventions in childhood habits. 
"Our findings may be relevant for understanding the potential effects of activity reductions and dietary changes associated with obesity," said UCR evolutionary physiologist Theodore Garland. 
In other words, getting a jump start on health in the early years of life is extremely important, and interventions may be even more critical in the wake of the pandemic. 
"During the COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly in the early months, kids got very little exercise. For many without access to a park or a backyard, school was their only source of physical activity," Cadney said. "It is important we find solutions for these kids, possibly including extra attention as they grow into adults." 
Given that exercise was also shown to reduce adult anxiety, Cadney believes children who face these challenges may face unique physical and mental health issues as they become adults in the coming decade.

The Gary Null Show - 04.09.21

Dr. Ryan Cole
Leigh Dundas @ Orange County Dept of Education. 
Sunlight linked with lower COVID-19 deaths, study shows
University of Edinburgh (Scotland), April 9, 2021
Sunnier areas are associated with fewer deaths from Covid-19, an observational study suggests.
Increased exposure to the sun's rays - specifically UVA - could act as a simple public health intervention if further research establishes it causes a reduction in mortality rates, experts say.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh compared all recorded deaths from Covid-19 in the continental US from January to April 2020 with UV levels for 2,474 US counties for the same time period.
The study found that people living in areas with the highest level of exposure to UVA rays - which makes up 95 per cent of the sun's UV light - had a lower risk of dying from Covid-19 compared with those with lower levels. The analysis was repeated in England and Italy with the same results. 
The researchers took into account factors known to be associated with increased exposure to the virus and risk of death such as age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, population density, air pollution, temperature and levels of infection in local areas. 
The observed reduction in risk of death from Covid-19 could not be explained by higher levels of vitamin D, the experts said. Only areas, with insufficient levels of UVB to produce significant vitamin D in the body, were included in the study.
One explanation for the lower number of deaths, which the researchers are following up, is that sunlight exposure causes the skin to release nitric oxide. This may reduce the ability of SARS Coronavirus2 - the cause of Covid-19 - to replicate, as has been found in some lab studies. 
Previous research from the same group has shown that increased sunlight exposure is linked to improved cardiovascular health, with lower blood pressure and fewer heart attacks. As heart disease is a known risk factor in dying from Covid-19, this could also explain the latest findings. 
The team say due to the observational nature of the study it is not possible to establish cause and effect. However, it may lead to interventions that could be tested as potential treatments.
 
 
Folic acid, DHA improve factors related to cognitive function
UND Life Sciences (US), April 7 2021. 
Findings from a randomized trial reported on March 13, 2021 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease revealed improvements in aspects of cognitive function among men and women with mild cognitive impairment who consumed folic acid and/or the omega 3 fatty acid DHA. 
One hundred sixty participants received 800 micrograms folic acid, 800 milligrams DHA, folic acid plus DHA, or a placebo daily for six months. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised test, which includes six verbal subtests and five performance subtests, was administered at the beginning of the study and at six and 12 months. Blood amyloid beta levels were measured at baseline and six months. 
At the end of the treatment period, intelligence quotient, and information, arithmetic and picture complement scores were higher in the group that received folic acid than the placebo. Folic acid-supplemented participants also had increases in blood folate and S-adenosylmethionine levels, along with a decline in homocysteine. 
Those who received DHA also experienced improved intelligence quotient and information and arithmetic scores, along with better digit span scores. 
Participants who received both folic acid and DHA had better arithmetic and digital span scores as well as higher blood folate and SAMe, and lower homocysteine. The group also experienced declines in amyloid beta 40 and amyloid beta 42 levels. (Amyloid beta 42 levels are increased in the brains of Alzheimer disease patients.)
Cognitive test score improvements were not found to be maintained when assessed six months after supplementation discontinuance. 
“In terms of improving cognitive function, folic acid and DHA were more effective alone than when combined, and DHA was more effective than folic acid,” the authors noted. “The beneficial effect of folic acid + DHA supplementation on cognitive function may be mediated by amyloid beta protein reduction.”
 
 
ADHD and autism associated with in utero heavy metals and essential minerals
Norwegian Institute of Public Health, April 9, 2021
Levels of the heavy metals cadmium, lead, and arsenic and the essential mineral manganese, measured in maternal blood during pregnancy, were associated with increased risk of ADHD and/or autism in the child. This was reported in a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. This research does not show that metals and minerals are a direct cause of ADHD or autism because observed associations may have other explanations; however, the findings show the importance of more knowledge about how environmental contaminants may impact fetal development.
Environmental contaminants can impact children's development even in the mother's womb. Several heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are known or suspected to interfere with brain development and can reach the fetus through the placenta. This is also the case for minerals such as manganese, selenium, and copper, which in sufficient doses are important for a normal fetal brain development, while levels that are too low or too high can potentially be harmful. The research question in this study was whether any of these substances could increase risk for ADHD or autism in children. There are few studies that have investigated metals and minerals during fetal life and associations with ADHD or autism in children.
Heavy metals and minerals were measured in maternal blood during pregnancy in 2136 mothers from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), where 705 children had an ADHD diagnosis, 397 had an autism diagnosis, and 1034 did not have a diagnosis. The study showed that levels of some of the heavy metals and minerals were associated with increased risk of ADHD, autism or both diagnoses. In some cases, both high and low levels in maternal blood were associated with increased risk, compared to normal levels. This study also took into consideration other factors that could be associated with metal and mineral exposures and developmental diagnoses, like maternal education, age, parity, seafood consumption, smoking and child sex and birth year.
Even after considering these other factors, there was increased risk of autism diagnosis with both the highest and the lowest levels of lead in maternal blood, in addition to increased risk with elevated levels of arsenic. For ADHD, there was an increased risk of diagnosis with both low and high levels of arsenic. The highest levels of cadmium were associated with increased risk of both ADHD and autism, compared to the lowest levels.
Children of mothers with both low and high levels of manganese had increased risk of ADHD. Among children of mothers with the highest levels of manganese (compared to the lowest), there was increased risk of autism.
Most people, including pregnant women and the unborn children, are exposed to thousands of chemicals. Still, we know surprisingly little about how this can impact the fetal brain development. We need more research to gain knowledge about causal relationships between environmental contaminants and brain development, says Thea Skogheim and Gro Villanger, two of the researchers of the study. 
It is important to emphasize that the associations that were found in the study are on a group level and that factors that were not included may have affected the results. Thus, one cannot claim that these metals and minerals is a direct cause of ADHD and autism. There are many different factors that contribute to the development of these disorders, where particularly heredity is important. Yet, there is likely a complex interplay between genes and environmental factors, such as environmental contaminants.
Previous studies
Previous studies in this field have mainly focused on the most known and toxic heavy metals, such as lead and mercury. They have also based their research more on parent-reported ADHD symptoms in the children than on register-based diagnoses. The findings in this study support results from similar studies from other countries. However, this study is among the first that have investigated 11 different metals and minerals together with ADHD and autism diagnoses. The exposures were investigated both individually and as mixtures.
Toxic heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium are naturally occurring in the environment, but due to human activity such as pollution from industry and mining, there are elevated levels in the environment. According to the Norwegian Environment Agency, the use of lead ammunition is the greatest source (67%) of emission of lead in the environment in Norway. Both natural occurrence and emission from industry to soil and water leads to food being the greatest source of metals and minerals. Some of the substances (mercury, lead, cadmium) accumulate in the food chain and can be transferred from mother to child during pregnancy.
Lead and cadmium are found in many of the food items that we most frequently ingest, such as grain products and vegetables, in addition to beverages. There are elevated levels of cadmium in organ meat (kidney and liver) and brown crab meat. Cigarettes are also an important source of cadmium.
Families that have game meat as part of their daily diet get additionally exposed to lead, combined with the exposure from other food products. According to warnings from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, young, pregnant, and breastfeeding women as well as children below the age of seven, should not eat game meat that is shot with lead ammunition.
There are particular warnings from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority about the intake of seafood from polluted areas in Norway (ports, fjords and lakes). The population is exposed to arsenic mainly through food and drinks, and in Norway fish and seafood are one of the greatest sources. In fish and seafood most of the arsenic are organic forms that are considered less toxic than inorganic forms. Both human and animal studies have shown harmful effects on the nervous system following exposure to inorganic forms.
Even though manganese is essential for many biochemical processes in the body, excessive levels over a long period of time can also be harmful, especially for the brain and nervous system. The greatest human exposure source is food (grain products, green vegetables, nuts) and multivitamin supplements. Additionally, exposure can occur through cosmetics, drinking water, air pollution, and occupational sources. In the Norwegian population, there are some occupational groups working with metals that are exposed to high levels of manganese. In areas of the world with high levels of manganese in the soil and groundwater (such as drinking water) or where mining contributes to high air concentrations, studies have shown associations with behavioral problems, cognitive deficits, reduced learning abilities, and lower school performance in children.
A need for more knowledge about environmental contaminants in the population
This study includes children born between 2002 and 2009. There is, however, limited knowledge about present day levels of exposure. Even though bans and regulations for some of the heavy metals (e.g. mercury and lead) have been implemented, many metals are transported through air and ocean currents across the globe. Thus, we do not know the levels of metals and other environmental contaminants in the Norwegian population as of today, nor in vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children. It is therefore important that we gain more knowledge about this, says Skogheim and Villanger.
ADHD and autism
The Norwegian health authorities estimates that about 3–5 percent of children and youth below the age of 18 have ADHD. This entails that on average, there is one child with ADHD in each school class. In Norway, around 1 percent of all children will have received a diagnosis of autism by the age of eight years. By discovering potential environmental risk factors that contribute to ADHD and autism, this can support and initiate preventive measures.
 
Idiopathic myalgic pain (fibromyalgia): supportive management and prevention with Pycnogenol
Ch-Pe University (Italy), April 4, 2021
Background: The aim of this registry study was the prospective evaluation of the efficacy of Pycnogenol in idiopathic fibromyalgia (FM), over 4 weeks in comparison with the standard management (SM).
Methods: A SM and a Pycnogenol+SM group were formed. Pycnogenol supplementation was used at the dose of 150 mg/day (4 weeks). The study considered the most important/frequent symptoms of FM.
Results: Fifty patients with idiopathic fibromyalgia were included: 26 in the Pycnogenol group and 24 served as controls. The two groups were comparable at inclusion. No other disease or condition was present. All subjects were otherwise healthy women (BMI

The Gary Null Show - 04.08.21

1. The Ugly Truth About Lockdowns Pt1  - 14 mins 
 
Lycopene found to inhibit pathway involved in Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric cancer
Yonsei University (South Korea), April 6, 2021
In this study, researchers at Yonsei University in South Korea evaluated the effects of lycopene on hyperproliferation induced by Helicobacter pylori infection. They reported their findings in an article published in the journal Nutrition Research.
H. pylori is known to colonize the human stomach and is linked to an increased risk of gastric diseases, including gastric cancer.
According to studies, H. pylori increases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which activate Janus-activator kinase 1 (Jak1)/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (Stat3) in gastric epithelial cells.
ROS also mediate hyperproliferation — a hallmark of carcinogenesis — by activating Wnt/B-catenin signaling in various cells.
The researchers hypothesized that lycopene, a potent antioxidant with anti-cancer properties, may be able to suppress hyperproliferation by inhibiting the ROS-mediated activation of Jak1/Stat3 and Wnt/B-catenin signaling, as well as the expression of B-catenin target genes.
To test their hypothesis, they measured the ROS levels and viability of H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial AGS cells before and after lycopene treatment. The Jak1/Stat3 inhibitor AG490 served as the control treatment.
They also measured the protein levels of the following:
Total and phosphorylated Jak1/Stat3
Wnt/B-catenin signaling molecules
Wnt-1
Lipoprotein-related protein 5
B-catenin target oncogenes (c-Myc and cyclin E)
The researchers found that lycopene, like AG490, reduced ROS levels and inhibited the activation of Jak1/Stat3, alterations in the levels of Wnt/B-catenin multiprotein complex molecules, the expression of c-Myc and cyclin E and the proliferation of H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial AGS cells.
Lycopene and AG490 also inhibited the increase in Wnt-1 and lipoprotein-related protein 5 expression caused by H. pylori infection.
Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that lycopene can be used to prevent H. pylori-associated gastric diseases, thanks to its inhibitory effects on gastric cell hyperproliferation.
 
Less sugar, please! New studies show low glucose levels might assist muscle repair
Skeletal muscle satellite cells found to grow better with less glucose in vitro
Tokyo Metropolitan University, April 3, 2021
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have shown that skeletal muscle satellite cells, key players in muscle repair, proliferate better in low glucose environments. This is contrary to conventional wisdom that says mammalian cells fare better when there is more sugar to fuel their activities. Because ultra-low glucose environments do not allow other cell types to proliferate, the team could produce pure cultures of satellite cells, potentially a significant boost for biomedical research.
Healthy muscles are an important part of a healthy life. With the wear and tear of everyday use, our muscles continuously repair themselves to keep them in top condition. In recent years, scientists have begun to understand how muscle repair works at the cellular level. Skeletal muscle satellite cells have been found to be particularly important, a special type of stem cell that resides between the two layers of sheathing, the sarcolemma and basal lamina, that envelopes myofiber cells in individual muscle fibers. When myofiber cells get damaged, the satellite cells go into overdrive, multiplying and finally fusing with myofiber cells. This not only helps repair damage, but also maintains muscle mass. To understand how we lose muscles due to illness, inactivity, or age, getting to grips with the specific mechanisms involved is a key challenge for medical science.
A team of scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University led by Assistant Professor Yasuro Furuichi, Associate Professor Yasuko Manabe and Professor Nobuharu L Fujii have been studying how skeletal muscle satellite cells multiply outside the body. Looking at cells multiplying in petri dishes in a growth medium, they noticed that higher levels of glucose had an adverse effect on the rate at which they grew. This is counterintuitive; glucose is considered to be essential for cellular growth. It is converted into ATP, the fuel that drives a lot of cellular activity. Yet, the team confirmed that lower glucose media led to a larger number of cells, with all the biochemical markers expected for greater degrees of cell proliferation.
They also confirmed that this doesn't apply to all cells, something they successfully managed to use to their advantage. In experiments in high glucose media, cultures of satellite cells always ended up as a mixture, simply due to other cell types in the original sample also multiplying. By keeping the glucose levels low, they were able to create a situation where satellite cells could proliferate, but other cell types could not, giving a very pure culture of skeletal muscle satellite cells. This is a key prerequisite for studying these cells in a variety of settings, including regenerative medicine. So, was the amount of glucose in their original experiment somehow "just right"? The team added glucose oxidase, a glucose digesting enzyme, to get to even lower levels of glucose, and grew the satellite cells in this glucose-depleted medium. Shockingly, the cells seemed to fare just fine, and proliferated normally. The conclusion is that these particular stem cells seem to derive their energy from a completely different source. Work is ongoing to try to pin down what this is.
The team notes that the sugar levels used in previous experiments matched those found in diabetics. This might explain why loss of muscle mass is seen in diabetic patients, and may have significant implications for how we might keep our muscles healthier for longer.
 
Higher plasma glutathione levels associated with decreased risk of Alzheimer disease
Kapodistrian University (Greece), March 31, 2021
According to news reporting originating in Athens, Greece,research stated, “Potential links between oxidative stress and the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been reported in the existing literature. Biological markers of oxidative stress, such as the reduced form of glutathione (GSH), may have a potential role as predictive biomarkers for AD development.”
Funders for this research include Alzheimer’s Association, ESPA-EU program Excellence Grant (ARISTEIA), Ministry for Health and Social Solidarity (Greece).
The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “The aim of the present study was to explore the longitudinal associations between plasma GSH and the risk of developing AD or cognitive decline, in a sample of community-dwelling, non-demented older adults. Participants from the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD) were included in the present prospective study. The sample used in the analyses consisted of 391 non-demented individuals over the age of 64 (mean age = 73.85 years; SD = 5.06), with available baseline GSH measurements and longitudinal follow-up. Plasma GSH was treated both as a continuous variable and as tertiles in our analyses. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) for AD incidence as a function of baseline plasma GSH. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) models were deployed to explore the associations between baseline plasma GSH and the rate of change of performance scores on individual cognitive domains over time. Models were adjusted for age, years of education and sex. Supplementary exploratory models were also adjusted for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at baseline, risk for malnutrition, physical activity and adherence to the Mediter-ranean dietary pattern. A total of 24 incident AD cases occurred during a mean (SD) of 2.99 (0.92) years of follow-up. Individuals in the highest GSH tertile group (highest baseline plasma GSH values) had a 70.1% lower risk for development of AD, compared to those in the lowest one [HR = 0.299 (0.093-0.959); p = 0.042], and also demonstrated a slower rate of decline of their executive functioning over time (5.2% of a standard deviation less decline in the executive composite score for each additional year of follow-up; p = 0.028). The test for trend was also significant suggesting a potential dose-response relationship.”
According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “In the present study, higher baseline plasma GSH levels were associated with a decreased risk of developing AD and with a better preservation of executive functioning longitudinally.”
This research has been peer-reviewed.
 
 
Citrus fruit found to decrease risk of stroke
University of East Anglia (UK),  March 31, 2021 
 
We’ve all heard how good citrus fruit is for us due to its vitamin C content and immune system-boosting properties. Now research is showing that citrus fruit can also help to reduce stroke risk.
 
A study conducted at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK reveals that eating citrus fruit, especially oranges, lowers the risk of ischemic stroke significantly. The researchers compared the health of women who ate both oranges and grapefruit regularly versus those who did not.
 
Compounds in citrus fruit improve circulation and blood flow, reducing stroke risk
 
The study looked at the flavonoid content of citrus fruits and how they impacted blood vessel health. Previous studies have found that specific orange phytochemicals are protective against intracerebral hemorrhage and considerably improve blood flow in the brain.
 
Researchers reviewed around 14 years of Nurse’s Health Study data tracking the health and diets of about 70,000 women. Correlations between six flavonoid sub-classes from citrus fruits were assessed related to risks of hemorrhagic, ischemic or complete stroke.
 
Women who consumed the highest amounts of orange and grapefruit as well as juices from these fruits had much better blood circulation, as well as a 19 percent lowered risk of stroke related to blood clotting as compared with women who didn’t eat much citrus fruit.
 
Why an orange alongside that apple – each day – is a powerful combination
 
The women who favored citrus fruit showed a substantially reduced risk of stroke and associated risks. Indeed, if an apple a day keeps the doctor away, an orange a day can keep strokes away.
 
Other studies of flavonoids in fruit substantiate these results regarding a reduction in stroke risk. Higher intake of all kinds of fruit has a positive impact on stroke risk as well as many other areas of health.
 
A 2011 study by Western University in London, Ontario found that an additional benefit of flavonoid intake was the prevention of weight gain. A tangerine flavonoid called Nobiletin was shown to reduce the risk of both type 2 diabetes and obesity in mice. The mice given the Nobiletin flavonoid avoided these issues, while those that did not became obese, developed type 2 diabetes, and had atherosclerosis and fatty liver issues.
 
A 2012 Japanese study found the pulp and juice from satsuma mandarin oranges inhibited tumor growth in cancers of the colon, lung and tongue. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant known for inhibiting free radical damage in the cells. The Nobiletin in citrus fruit has also been linked with apoptosis, or programmed cell death of cancer cells.
 
Oregon Health & Science University researchers found a connection between eye health and the vitamin C found in citrus fruit. Retinal nerve cells benefited from the compound, and it’s likely brain and nervous system health are positively impacted as well.
While fruit juice packs a potent nutritional punch, there are advantages to eating whole oranges, grapefruits and other fruits instead. Whole fruits tend to be richer in vitamins and nutrients, lower in sugar, and higher in fiber.
 
 
For older patients, focusing on what matters is often the best medicine
Yale University, April 4, 2021
A woman in her 80s wanted to play with her great-grandchildren when they came to visit, but knee pain made it difficult for her. A man in his late 70s said he enjoyed going out to dinner, but was constrained by the meal preparation guidelines that he needed to follow because of his diabetes.
Both people have multiple chronic conditions. They also have life goals, things they want to do to live their lives fully, like playing with grandchildren and going out to eat. Understanding these goals and barriers to them, helps doctors align care with what matters most to their patients while eliminating unwanted health care, said the authors of a report that was published March 24 in JAMA Network Open.
The report, the first systematic description of older adults' health care priorities, describes a structured process called Patient Health Priorities that health care providers can follow to identify the life goals of older adults with multiple chronic conditions as well as their health care preferences.
"There is growing awareness of the need to transition health care, particularly for people with multiple chronic conditions, from treating single diseases in isolation to health care that is aligned with patients' priorities," said Mary Tinetti, MD, the principal investigator of the Patient Priorities Care study, and the Gladys Phillips Crofoot Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics) at Yale School of Medicine (YSM).
During the study, health care providers asked 163 patients who were 65 and older and have multiple chronic conditions to identify what they value most in life such as connecting with family, being productive, or remaining independent. They then asked what specific and realistic activities they most wanted to be able to do that reflected their values. The participants also were asked to describe the barriers that prevented them from achieving their goals, such as unnecessary doctors' visits, taking too many medications, or health concerns such as fatigue and shortness of breath.
"The medications, health care visits, testing, procedures, and self-management tasks entailed in treating multiple chronic conditions require investments of time and effort that may be burdensome and conflict with what patients are willing and able to do," Tinetti said.
The study was conducted among patients of 10 primary care doctors from a multi-site practice in Connecticut who invited patients to participate during routine visits. Participants had to be 65 or older and have at least three chronic health conditions that were treated with at least 10 prescription medications. They also had to be under the care of two or more specialists, or have visited the emergency room at least two times, or had been hospitalized once, during the past year. Of the 236 patients at the practice, 163 agreed to participate. Most participants were white, female, about 78 years old, and had four chronic conditions. Nearly half had high school-level or less education.
Participants were asked to identify their values with questions such as, "What does enjoying life mean to you?" and "When you have a good day, what happens?" Their health care providers then worked with them to make sure their care was focused on achieving those goals. Participants also were asked what health issues most interfered with their goals, and what aspects of their health care they found helpful and which they felt were unhelpful to too burdensome.
The 163 participants identified 459 outcome goals, the most common of which were sharing meals with friends and family (7.8%); visiting with grandchildren (16.3%); going shopping (6.1%), and exercising (4.6%). Twenty participants (4.4%) said they wanted to be able to stay in their homes and live independently. Common barriers to their goals were pain (41%); fatigue, lack of energy or poor sleep (14.4%); unsteadiness (13.5%); and shortness of breath and dizziness (6.1%).
Thirty-two participants (19.8%) felt they were taking too many medications, while 57 (35.0%) reported having bothersome symptoms from their medications but did not mention specific drugs. Also, 43 (26%) participants said that visits to their primary care physicians and specialists were helpful, although 15 (9%) said they have too many visits or doctors. "I'm tired of going to so many doctors."
Understanding what's important to patients can help with patient-doctor communication and decision-making, Tinetti said. "If a patient's outcome goals are not achievable or realistic given their health status, a conversation might include, "I worry that you might not be able to continue driving your friends to the theater. I wonder if there are other ways to fulfill your desire to see shows and connect with your friends that could be more achievable."
Participants were drawn from a single practice with a homogeneous patient population; results may not generalize to other populations, and identifying the priorities of diverse groups is essential, the report's authors noted. "While further research is needed, the study suggests the feasibility of asking people about their goals and preferences, and getting responses that can inform decision-making," Tinetti said.
A newly launched website, MyHealthPriorities.org, grew out of the Patient Priorities Care initiative. People can use the website to identify their priorities so they can discuss them with their health care team.
"When there isn't a healthcare provider available to do the health priorities identification, there is now this option of the self-directed website," said Jessica Esterson, MPH, project director in the Section of Geriatrics at YSM. "We want to spread this capability to as many older adults as possible. By providing the website directly to individuals we greatly expand its reach and potential."
The website walks people through the Patient Priorities Care health priorities identification process. At the end they will have a summary to bring to their doctors that outlines their health priorities—the activities they want their health care to help them achieve based on what they are willing and able to do.
Tinetti encourages people of all ages, particularly older adults with multiple health conditions, to use MyHealthPriorities.org. "It will help you think about things you haven't thought about before, and better understand what matters most to you about your health and health care," Tinetti said. "It's important to you, your family, and your doctors."
 
Paleopharmaceuticals from Baltic amber might fight drug-resistant infections
University of Minnesota, April 5, 2021
For centuries, people in Baltic nations have used ancient amber for medicinal purposes. Even today, infants are given amber necklaces that they chew to relieve teething pain, and people put pulverized amber in elixirs and ointments for its purported anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. Now, scientists have pinpointed compounds that help explain Baltic amber's therapeutic effects and that could lead to new medicines to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2021 is being held online April 5-30. Live sessions will be hosted April 5-16, and on-demand and networking content will continue through April 30. The meeting features nearly 9,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics. 
Each year in the U.S., at least 2.8 million people get antibiotic-resistant infections, leading to 35,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We knew from previous research that there were substances in Baltic amber that might lead to new antibiotics, but they had not been systematically explored," says Elizabeth Ambrose, Ph.D., who is the principal investigator of the project. "We have now extracted and identified several compounds in Baltic amber that show activity against gram-positive, antibiotic-resistant bacteria."
Ambrose's interest originally stemmed from her Baltic heritage. While visiting family in Lithuania, she collected amber samples and heard stories about their medicinal uses. The Baltic Sea region contains the world's largest deposit of the material, which is fossilized resin formed about 44 million years ago. The resin oozed from now-extinct pines in the Sciadopityaceae family and acted as a defense against microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, as well as herbivorous insects that would become trapped in the resin.
Ambrose and graduate student Connor McDermott, who are at the University of Minnesota, analyzed commercially available Baltic amber samples, in addition to some that Ambrose had collected. "One major challenge was preparing a homogeneous fine powder from the amber pebbles that could be extracted with solvents," McDermott explains. He used a tabletop jar rolling mill, in which the jar is filled with ceramic beads and amber pebbles and rotated on its side. Through trial and error, he determined the correct ratio of beads to pebbles to yield a semi-fine powder. Then, using various combinations of solvents and techniques, he filtered, concentrated and analyzed the amber powder extracts by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Dozens of compounds were identified from the GC-MS spectra. The most interesting were abietic acid, dehydroabietic acid and palustric acid -- 20-carbon, three-ringed organic compounds with known biological activity. Because these compounds are difficult to purify, the researchers bought pure samples and sent them to a company that tested their activity against nine bacterial species, some of which are known to be antibiotic resistant.
"The most important finding is that these compounds are active against gram-positive bacteria, such as certain Staphylococcus aureus strains, but not gram-negative bacteria," McDermott says. Gram-positive bacteria have a less complex cell wall than gram-negative bacteria. "This implies that the composition of the bacterial membrane is important for the activity of the compounds," he says. McDermott also obtained a Japanese umbrella pine, the closest living species to the trees that produced the resin that became Baltic amber. He extracted resin from the needles and stem and identified sclarene, a molecule present in the extracts that could theoretically undergo chemical transformations to produce the bioactive compounds the researchers found in Baltic amber samples.
"We are excited to move forward with these results," Ambrose says. "Abietic acids and their derivatives are potentially an untapped source of new medicines, especially for treating infections caused by gram-positive bacteria, which are increasingly becoming resistant to known antibiotics."
 
 
Complementary effects of pine bark extract supplementation on inattention, impulsivity, and antioxidative status in children with ADHD
Taipei Medical University (Taiwan), April 1, 2021
The purpose of this study was to investigate the complementary effects of polyphenolic compounds from pine bark extract (PE) as a strong antioxidative substrate on the symptoms of inattention and impulsivity in children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This was a randomized, double‐blind, crossover, placebo‐controlled study that included two experimental units (4 weeks with PE supplementation and 4 weeks with placebo supplementation) separated by a 2‐week washout period. ADHD participants were supplemented with 25 mg or 50 mg PE. We recruited 20 participants (17 boys and 3 girls) with a mean age of 10.0 ± 2.1 years. PE supplementation caused a significant reduction in the inattention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity items of SNAP‐IV. During the period of PE supplementation, the item of commissions in the Continuous Performance Test III (CPT III) significantly decreased, which was used to evaluate the symptoms of inattention and impulsivity. In addition, the erythrocytic reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio significantly increased, and the plasma TBARs level significantly decreased after 4 weeks of PE supplementation. However, there was no significant correlation between CPT III (commission) and antioxidative status indictors. PE supplementation may have potential effects of ameliorating inattention and impulsivity, and elevating the antioxidative status in children with ADHD.

The Gary Null Show - Vaccine passports and the war against truth Dr. Naomi Wolf - 04.07.21

Dr. Naomi Wolf is the CEO of the Daily Clout, a nonprofit that enables people to see, share and affect live legislative bills which otherwise would be largely non-transparent and passed in behind closed doors.  She is perhaps best known as a feminist leader, journalist and author writing about women's rights, abortion, the Occupy Movement, the emerging totalitarianism in the US and more recently the Covid pandemic.  Her articles have appeared in The Nation, the Guardian and Huffington Post. 
Naomi authored the bestseller "The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot," and her most recent book is "Outrages: Sex, Censorship and the Criminalization of Love," which retells a history of state-sponsored censorship and violations of personal freedoms by recounting the story of John Addington Symonds, a 21 year old Oxford student his struggle for same-sex relationships in the mid-19th century She graduated from Yale University as a Rhodes Scholar to atttend Oxford University where she later received her doctorate in English Language and Literature. In the past she has taught at Barnard College, Stoney Brook and George Washington University. Her website is DailyClout.io

The Gary Null Show - 04.06.21

 Perspectives on the Pandemic | "The Illusion of Evidence Based Medicine"  Leemon McHenry 10 mins
 
Leemon McHenry is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Philosophy , California State University, Northridge. Leemon does research in Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics and Bioethics. His current project is 'Evidence Based Medicine'.
 
Vitamin A for nerve cells
University Medical Center Freiburg (Germany), April 1, 2021
Neuroscientists agree that a person's brain is constantly changing, rewiring itself and adapting to environmental stimuli. This is how humans learn new things and create memories. This adaptability and malleability is called plasticity. "Physicians have long suspected that remodeling processes also take place in humans at the contact points between nerve cells, i.e. directly at the synapses. Until now, however, such a coordinated adaptation of structure and function could only be demonstrated in animal experiments," says Prof. Dr. Andreas Vlachos from the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg. But now Vlachos, together with Prof. Dr. Jürgen Beck, head of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University Medical Center Freiburg, has provided experimental evidence for synaptic plasticity in humans. In addition to Vlachos and Beck, the research team consists of Dr. Maximilian Lenz, Pia Kruse and Amelie Eichler from the University of Freiburg, Dr. Jakob Strähle from the University Medical Center Freiburg and colleagues from Goethe University Frankfurt. The results were presented in the scientific journal eLife.
In the experiments, the team investigated whether so-called dendritic spines change when exposed to a vitamin A derivative called retionic acid. Dendritic spines are the parts of the synapse that receive, process and transmit signals during communication between neurons. As such, they play a crucial role in brain plasticity and are constantly adapting to everyday experience. For example, learning can change the number and shape of dendritic spines. However, a transformation in the number or shape of the spines is also found in diseases such as depression or dementia.
The research shows that retinoic acid not only increases the size of dendritic spines, but also strengthens their ability to transmit signals between neurons. "We have concluded from our results that retinoic acids are important messengers for synaptic plasticity in the human brain. Thus, this finding contributes to the identification of key mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in the human brain and could support the development of new therapeutic strategies for brain diseases, such as depression," says Vlachos.
To experimentally demonstrate that synaptic plasticity also exists in humans, the researchers use tiny samples of human cerebral cortex, which must be compulsorily removed during neurosurgical procedures for therapeutic reasons. The removed brain tissue was then treated with retinoic acid before functional and structural properties of neurons were analyzed using electrophysiological and microscopic techniques.
 
 
 
Study: Chemical compound in certain essential oils promotes wound healing
Indiana University, April, 2021
A study from Indiana University revealed that a chemical compound in essential oils may enhance wound healing, especially when applied topically. According to co-author Sachiko Koyama, essential oils – like those from lavender, rosemary, ylang-ylang and black pepper – contain a chemical compoundcalled beta-caryophyllene. This contributes to improved wound healing, based on a murine model.
“This is the first finding at the chemical-compound level showing improved wound healing in addition to changes in gene expression in the skin,” said Koyama.
Beta-caryophyllene may decrease inflammation and accelerate re-epithelialization. The latter refers to the restoration of structure and function of injured tissues. During this process, epithelial cells at the wound start to migrate and cover the injured area. The researchers added that beta-caryophyllene may prevent cell death, allowing cells to survive and proliferate.
“I thought maybe wound healing would be accelerated if inflammation was suppressed, stimulating an earlier switch from the inflammatory stage to the next stage,” she added.
The team also noted increased gene expression of hair follicle stem cells in the treated tissue. This potentially indicate that there’s more to wound-healing activity of beta-caryophyllene than just activating genes.
“It’s possibly more complicated,” she added. “Our findings suggest the involvements of some other routes in addition to CB2. I hope to clarify the mechanisms of action in the near future.”
Koyama, a social neuroscientist at Indiana University, said that she wasn’t interested in studying essential oils at first, as her field of expertise was in pheromone and social status. However, her interest was sparked when she saw students working on the wound healing process in mice. She knew from experience that beta-caryophyllene can also activate cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
Healing beyond smell
Most people know essential oils by way of aromatherapy. These are often used with diffusers, aromatic spritzers, inhalers, facial steamers and clay masks to bring out the aroma coming from the oil. Essential oils, in particular, may help with asthma, insomnia, fatigue and depression, among others.
In the study, the researchers did not find any relationship between the sense of smell and the healing properties of beta-caryophyllene. (Related: Curcumin found to aid in the healing of skin wounds.)
Koyama also offered a caveat for those looking to use essential oils for treatment, in particular, warning against the use of any essential oils. In the study, the researchers used essential oils that underwent purification processes to achieve that result.
“It’s not very precise to use the essential oils themselves because there are differences,” she added. “Even if you say you used lavender, when the lavender was harvested, where it was harvested, how it was stored—all of this makes a difference in the chemical composition.”
The team is also hopeful that their results will warrant further studies to determine an exact chemical composition for beta-caryophyllene that can be used to treat skin wounds.
“There are many things to test before we can start using it clinically, but our results are very promising and exciting; someday in the near future, we may be able to develop a drug and drug delivery methods using the chemical compounds found in essential oils,” she added.
 
 
Exercise may help slow cognitive decline in some people with Parkinson's disease
Hallym University (South Korea), April 1, 2021
For people with Parkinson's disease, problems with thinking and memory skills are among the most common nonmotor symptoms of the disease. A new study shows that exercise may help slow cognitive decline for some people with the disease. The study is published in the March 31, 2021, online issue of Neurology.
Research has suggested that people with Parkinson's who have the gene variant apolipoprotein E e4, or APOE e4, may experience faster cognitive decline and earlier in the disease than people without the variant. APOE e4 is known as a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The study looked at whether exercise could play a role in slowing cognitive decline for people with APOE e4.
"Problems with thinking skills and memory can have a negative impact on people's quality of life and ability to function, so it's exciting that increasing physical activitycould have the potential to delay or prevent cognitive decline," said study author Jin-Sun Jun, M.D., of Hallym University in Seoul, Korea.
The study involved 173 people with early Parkinson's disease who were on average 63 years old at the time and 59 years old when they developed the disease. A total of 27% had the APOE e4 gene variant. People reported their physical activity with a questionnaire on how much activity they had in the previous week through leisure activities such as walking or biking, household activities such as dusting or yard work and work activities for pay or as a volunteer.
People took a test of their thinking skills at the beginning of the study and then one and two years later. Overall, scores at the beginning of the study averaged 26 points. For people with the APOE e4 gene variant, test scores declined by an average of 1.33 points by the end of the study compared to those without the variant. But researchers also found that greater physical activity at the start of the study lessened APOE e4-related cognitive decline two years later by an average of 0.007 points.
"Additional research is needed to confirm our findings, but these results would support the use of interventions that target physical activity as a way to delay cognitive decline in people with early Parkinson's who have the APOE e4 gene variant," Jun said.
A limitation of the study was that participants reported their own levels of physical activity, so there is the possibility that they would not remember their levels exactly.
 
Time to shift from 'food security' to 'nutrition security' to increase health and well-being
Tufts and Georgetown Universities, April 1, 2021
 
In the 1960s, a national focus on hunger was essential to address major problems of undernutrition after World War II. In the 1990s, the nation shifted away from hunger toward "food insecurity" to better capture and address the challenges of food access and affordability.
Now, a new Viewpoint article argues that today's health and equity challenges call for the U.S. to shift from "food insecurity" to "nutrition insecurity" in order to catalyze appropriate focus and policies on access not just to food but to healthy, nourishing food.
The Viewpoint, by Dariush Mozaffarian of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University, Sheila Fleischhacker of Georgetown Law School, and José Andrés of World Central Kitchen, was published online in JAMA this week.
The concept of food security focuses on access to and affordability of food that is safe, nutritious, and consistent with personal preferences. In reality, however, the "nutritious" part often has been overlooked or lost in national policies and solutions, with resulting emphasis on quantity, rather than quality, of food, say the authors.
"Food is essential both for life and human dignity. Every day, I see hunger, but the hunger I see is not only for calories but for nourishing meals. With a new focus on nutrition security, we embrace a solution that nourishes people, instead of filling them with food but leaving them hungry," said Chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen.
The authors define nutrition security as having consistent access to and availability and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being, while preventing -- and, if needed, treating -- disease. Nutrition security provides a more inclusive view that recognizes that foods must nourish all people.
"'Nutrition security' incorporates all the aims of food security but with additional emphasis on the need for wholesome, healthful foods and drinks for all. COVID-19 has made clear that Americans who are most likely to be hungry are also at highest risk of diet-related diseases including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many cancers - a harsh legacy of inequities and structural racism in our nation. A new focus on nutrition security for all Americans will help crystallize and catalyze real solutions that provide not only food but also well-being for everyone," said first author Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University.
"It's the right time for this evolution," said Sheila Fleischhacker, adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School, who has drafted food, nutrition and health legislation and campaign positions at the local, state, tribal and federal levels. "By prioritizing nutrition security, we bring together historically siloed areas - hunger and nutrition - which must be tackled together to effectively address our modern challenges of diet-related diseases and disparities in clinical care, government food and food assistance policies, public health investments, and national research."
"The current approach is not sufficient," the authors write, and "traditionally marginalized minority groups as well as people living in rural and lower-income counties are most likely to experience disparities in nutrition quality, food insecurity, and corresponding diet-related diseases."
 
 
Fasting acts as diet catalyst in those with metabolic syndrome
Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (Germany), March 30, 2021
One in four Germans suffers from metabolic syndrome. Several of four diseases of affluence occur at the same time in this 'deadly quartet': obesity, high blood pressure, lipid metabolism disorder and diabetes mellitus. Each of these is a risk factor for severe cardiovascular conditions, such as heart attack and stroke. Treatment aims to help patients lose weight and normalise their lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and blood pressure. In addition to exercise, doctors prescribe a low-calorie and healthy diet. Medication is often also required. However, it is not fully clear what effects nutrition has on the microbiome, immune system and health. 
A research group led by Dr Sofia Forslund and Professor Dominik N. Müller from the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) and the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) has now examined the effect a change of diet has on people with metabolic syndrome. The ECRC is jointly run by the MDC and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. "Switching to a healthy diet has a positive effect on blood pressure," says Andras Maifeld, summarising the results. "If the diet is preceded by a fast, this effect is intensified." Maifeld is the first author of the paper, which was recently published in the journal "Nature Communications".
Broccoli over roast beef
Dr Andreas Michalsen, Senior Consultant of the Naturopathy Department at Immanuel Hospital Berlin and Endowed Chair of Clinical Naturopathy at the Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Professor Gustav J. Dobos, Chair of Naturopathy and Integrative Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen, recruited 71 volunteers with metabolic syndrome and raised systolic blood pressure. The researchers divided them into two groups at random. 
Both groups followed the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet for three months, which is designed to combat high blood pressure. This Mediterranean-style diet includes lots of fruit and vegetables, wholemeal products, nuts and pulses, fish and lean white meat. One of the two groups did not consume any solid food at all for five days before starting the DASH diet.
On the basis of immunophenotyping, the scientists observed how the immune cells of the volunteers changed when they altered their diet. "The innate immune system remains stable during the fast, whereas the adaptive immune system shuts down," explains Maifeld. During this process, the number of proinflammatory T cells drops, while regulatory T cells multiply. 
A Mediterranean diet is good, but to also fast is better
The researchers used stool samples to examine the effects of the fast on the gut microbiome. Gut bacteria work in close contact with the immune system. Some strains of bacteria metabolise dietary fibre into anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids that benefit the immune system. The composition of the gut bacteria ecosystem changes drastically during fasting. Health-promoting bacteria that help to reduce blood pressure multiply. Some of these changes remain even after resumption of food intake. The following is particularly noteworthy: "Body mass index, blood pressure and the need for antihypertensive medication remained lower in the long term among volunteers who started the healthy diet with a five-day fast," explains Dominik Müller. Blood pressure normally shoots back up again when even one antihypertensive tablet is forgotten. 
Blood pressure remains lower in the long term - even three months after fasting
Together with scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and McGill University, Montreal, Canada, Forslund's working group conducted a statistical evaluation of these results using artificial intelligence to ensure that this positive effect was actually attributable to the fast and not to the medication that the volunteers were taking. They used methods from a previous study in which they had examined the influence of antihypertensive medication on the microbiome. "We were able to isolate the influence of the medication and observe that whether someone responds well to a change of diet or not depends on the individual immune response and the gut microbiome," says Forslund. 
If a high-fibre, low-fat diet fails to deliver results, it is possible that there are insufficient gut bacteria in the gut microbiome that metabolise fibre into protective fatty acids. "Those who have this problem often feel that it is not worth the effort and go back to their old habits," explains the scientist. It is therefore a good idea to combine a diet with a fast. "Fasting acts as a catalyst for protective microorganisms in the gut. Health clearly improves very quickly and patients can cut back on their medication or even often stop taking tablets altogether." This could motivate them to stick to a healthy lifestyle in the long term.
 
Rice bran adds microbiome diversity, slows growth of colon cancer cells
University of Colorado, April 5, 2021 
 
At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers at Colorado State University present results of a phase II clinical trial of 29 people exploring the effects of adding rice bran or navy beans to the diets of colorectal cancer survivors. After the 4-week randomized-controlled trial during which people added rice bran, navy bean powder or neither, both the rice bran and navy bean groups showed increased dietary fiber, iron, zinc, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, and alpha-tocopherol. The rice bran group also showed increased microbiome richness and diversity. When researchers treated colorectal cancer cells with stool extracts from these groups, they saw reduced cell growth from the groups that had increased rice bran and navy bean consumption.
 
Previous work shows the ability of these diets to decrease colorectal cancer risk in animal models. The current trial confirms that people can eat enough bean- and rice bran-enhanced foods to promote gut health at levels shown to prevent colorectal cancer in animals. Guidelines from the American Institute for Cancer Research recommend reducing the risk of cancer by eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, such as beans. Ryan has established from these studies that eating a half-cup of beans and 30 grams of rice bran per day is enough to see changes in small molecules that can confer protection against colorectal cancer.
 
"The simple message is, 'Food is medicine,' and we are looking at how to simplify that and make it apply to our everyday lives," says study co-author Regina Brown, MD, assistant professor at the CU School of Medicine and oncologist for CUHealth.
 
Brown is long-time collaborator of CU Cancer Center investigator and CSU assistant professor, Elizabeth Ryan, PhD. The Ryan Lab in the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences studies the potential power of navy beans and rice bran to promote digestive health and to prevent metabolic alterations in obesity, heart disease and certain cancers.
 
"The evidence is there in animals and we can now study this in people. The question is, what are we doing to achieve adequate levels of intake of these foods?" Ryan said. "It's not enough to say 'I eat them once in a while.' That's not going to work, particularly if you are at higher risk. You have to meet a dose, just like you need a dose of a certain drug, you need to reach intake levels and consume increased amounts of these foods, and that's where people, including me, are challenged. Not everyone wants to open up a can of beans and eat them every day."
 
The two met about 10 years ago, when Ryan was a researcher in CSU professor Henry Thompson's Cancer Prevention Lab, and Brown was practicing medicine in Fort Collins and caring for her mother, who had uterine cancer.
"It was kind of a novel partnership and had we not dug in our heels it could have died, but I told Elizabeth, 'Your work is so interesting and so valuable. We have to take this translational research from the benchtop to the clinic.' I guarantee, nine out of 10 of my patients, the first thing they ask is about their diet," Brown said.
 
The study's lead author is Erica Borresen, Ryan's research associate and study coordinator, who worked with colorectal cancer survivors to make sure they ate their beans and rice bran provided in meals and snacks, and that they filled out their food logs and gastrointestinal health questionnaires. It was sometimes intimate and awkward, but so is getting a colonoscopy and being treated for colorectal cancer. "Our participants donated their time and effort, and I want to make sure they understand they are appreciated," said Borresen, who earned her Master of Public Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, and plans to become a physician's assistant. "I came to realize I love the patient interaction - that's one of my favorite parts about coordinating our studies."
 
The next phase of Ryan's research examines effects of the cooked navy bean powder and rice bran on the colon tissue of people who have already had colorectal cancer and are at high risk for recurrence. "I really feel that there's hope in this being a practical solution to improve gut health and specifically colorectal cancer prevention," says Ryan.
 
 
 
Research suggests L-tryptophan supplements might help prevent impulsivity associated with psychological disorders
University of California Berkeley, April 2, 2021
According to news reporting originating from Berkeley, California, research stated, “Emotion-related impulsivity, defined as the tendency to say or do things that one later regret during periods of heightened emotion, has been tied to a broad range of psychopathologies. Previous work has suggested that emotion-related impulsivity is tied to an impaired function of the serotonergic system.”
Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of California Berkeley, “Central serotonin synthesis relies on the intake of the essential amino acid, tryptophan and its ability to pass through the blood brain barrier. The aim of this study was to determine the association between emotion-related impulsivity and tryptophan intake. Undergraduate participants (N = 25, 16 women, 9 men) completed a self-rated measure of impulsivity (Three Factor Impulsivity Index, TFI) and daily logs of their food intake and exercise. These data were coded using the software NutriNote to evaluate intakes of tryptophan, large neutral amino acids, vitamins B6/B12, and exercise. Correlational analyses indicated that higher tryptophan intake was associated with significantly lower scores on two out of three subscales of the TFI, Pervasive Influence of Feelings scores r = -.502, p< .010, and (lack-of) Follow-Through scores, r = -.407, p< .050. Findings provide further evidence that emotion-related impulsivity is correlated to serotonergic indices, even when considering only food habits.”
According to the news editors, the research concluded: “It also suggests the need for more research on whether tryptophan supplements might be beneficial for impulsive persons suffering from a psychological disorder.”
This research has been peer-reviewed.
 
 
 
 
Nutritional supplementation in preconception and pregnancy linked to reduced risk of preterm birth
University of Southampton (UK), March 30, 2021
Increasing evidence suggests that a mother's nutritional status at the onset of pregnancy has an important influence on the growth and development of her baby, and that a good nutritional status during pregnancy may help reduce the risk of pregnancy complications.
A specific blend of nutrients and probiotics was tested in an international multicentre double blind randomized controlled trial NiPPeR (Nutritional Intervention Preconception and during Pregnancy to maintain healthy glucosE levels and offspRing health). Researchers from the international EpiGen Global Research Consortium, an academic group of clinicians and scientists including from around the world, including the University of Southampton, specifically assessed the effects of a nutritional intervention, a combination of myo-inositol, probiotics and micronutrients, consumed both before and during pregnancy, on maintaining healthy blood sugar levels in pregnancy and sustaining a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
As published in the journal Diabetes Care, (Myo-inositol, Probiotics and Micronutrient Supplementation from Preconception for Glycemia in Pregnancy: the NiPPeR study involved 1,729 women from the UK, New Zealand and Singapore who were planning pregnancy—one of the largest international preconception randomized controlled trials of its type.
While the study found that the intervention did not influence the mother's blood sugar levels or birthweights of the 585 babies born, the nutritional supplement decreased the incidence of preterm birth, particularly the cases associated with preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes.
"Preterm delivery is a serious, common and costly public health problem worldwide that continues to increase in incidence," said Professor Keith Godfrey from the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton. "Preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes is a major cause of preterm birth. Our study presents for the first time a clinical trial of a novel non-pharmacological approach that started preconception and extended throughout pregnancy, through the innovative use of a combination of nutritional ingredients. The study findings highlight the potential value of the mix of nutrients and probiotics in reducing the risk of preterm birth and supporting a timely delivery," Professor Godfrey continued. 
Associate Professor Shiao-Yng Chan, a principal investigator on the study from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, deputy executive director at the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, and Senior Consultant, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Hospital, commented "One of the strengths of our study is the diversity of its participants as we have involved women of multiple ethnicities from the general population across three countries, which means that the outcomes have wide relevance to women planning for pregnancy. Additionally, the study included blinded intervention and control groups, so bias is minimized."
Sharing his thoughts, Professor Wayne Cutfield, principal investigator on the study from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, said, "The importance of the preconception period on maternal and offspring health is being increasingly recognized, but there are very few randomized control trials seeking to optimize preconception nutrition."
Dr. Isabelle Bureau-Franz, Head of Nestlé Research, who partnered with EpiGen for this academic-led trial, says, "We are focused on discovering science-based solutions for mothers and their infants during preconception, pregnancy and while breastfeeding. The NiPPeR study is a great example of how a public-private partnership can build scientific evidence on nutritional interventions in a largely understudied group."

The Gary Null Show - 04.05.21

Videos from Show 
1. Scarborough 3 mins
 
2. COVID SHOTS EXPLAINED BY DR TENPENNY
 
3. Steve Deace on Twitter: "Pour one out for poor Bridgette from Washington, D.C
 
 
Anti-cancer and antidiabetic properties of maqui berry
Nova Southeastern University (US), April 2, 2021
Researchers at NOVA Southeastern University in Florida reviewed the potential use of Aristotelia chilensis, also known as maqui berry, as a nutritional supplement to combat hyperinsulinemia and related diseases. Their report was published in the journal Food Science and Human Wellness.
The scientific community has long considered nutritional supplementation to be a possible alternative medicine or adjunct treatment to conventional therapies for common ailments and diseases.
Recent studies show that A. chilensis can reduce postprandial insulin levels by as much as 50 percent and is just as effective as metformin at increasing insulin sensitivity and stabilizing blood glucose levels.
The berry’s mechanism of action involves inhibiting sodium-dependent glucose transporters in the small intestine and slowing glucose’s rate of entry in the bloodstream, which effectively reduces the likelihood of blood sugar spikes and the corresponding rise in insulin levels.
At the same time, the A. chilensis contributes to cancer prevention since chronically high blood glucose levels are linked to the development of cancers.
Studies have shown that diabetics and prediabetics have an elevated risk of developing cancerous growths.
Based on the findings of previous studies, the researchers believe that consistent supplementation with A. chilensis could indirectly reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases that are promoted by hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia.
 
New research on vitamin D and respiratory infections important for risk groups
 
Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), April 1, 2021
Studies have shown that supplementary vitamin D seems to provide a certain degree of protection against respiratory infections. A new study involving researchers from Karolinska Institutet has now made the most comprehensive synthesis to date of this connection. The study, which is published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, confirms that vitamin D protects against respiratory infections, a result that can have significance for the healthcare services.
Whether vitamin D can reduce the risk of infection is a still an open issue. Four years ago, a synthesis of current research was published that showed that vitamin D supplementation can provide a certain degree of protection against respiratory infections.
Now, the same researchers from, amongst other institutes, Karolinska Institutet, Harvard Medical School and Queen Mary University of London, have expanded the earlier material with an additional 18 studies and carried out new analyses.
Their results are based on 43 randomized and placebo-controlled studies on the possible relationship between vitamin D and respiratory infections involving almost 49,000 participants.
The material the researchers have drawn on comprised published as well as registered but as yet unpublished studies, and is the most comprehensive such compilation to date.
The new study adds further information about vitamin D as a protection against respiratory infections, but does not cover the question of whether vitamin D can protect against COVID-19.
Daily dose most effective
While the total protective effect against respiratory infections was 8%, the researchers found, for example, that a daily dose of vitamin D is much more effective than one given every week or month. There is no reason, either, to exceed the recommended dose.
"A particularly high dose doesn't seem necessary," says study co-author Peter Bergman, associate professor at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. "Those who received 400-1000 IU/day had the best response, as the group that received such a dose demonstrated a reduction in infection risk of 42%. I want to stress that there were no signals in the study that normal doses of vitamin D were dangerous or caused adverse reactions."
Lower risk in vulnerable groups
One conclusion that Dr. Bergman says can be drawn from the study is that the healthcare services should be more alert to groups that have a known risk of vitamin D deficiency, such as people with dark skin, overweight people and the elderly.
"A daily dose of vitamin D can protect the bones and perhaps also reduce the risk of respiratory infections in vulnerable groups," he continues. "The wider population will probably not benefit as much from the supplement, though. Vitamin D doesn't make healthy people healthier."
The researchers are now interrogating the mechanisms behind the protective effect of vitamin D against respiratory infections—for instance, what genetic factors determine why people respond differently to vitamin D supplements.
One weakness of the compilation procedure is the possible influence of "publication bias," in that studies that do not demonstrate an effect are never published, which can create a false impression of how effective vitamin D is. To compensate for this, data from registered but as yet unpublished studies were also included.
The study received no external funding. Some of the co-authors have declared the receipt of grants from pharmaceutical companies and/or vitamin supplement manufacturers, although outside of this study. See the scientific paper for a full list of potential conflicts of interest.
 
Role of inflammatory diet and vitamin D in link between periodontitis and cognitive function
Instituto Universitario Egas Moniz (Portugal), March 25, 2021
 
According to news reporting originating from Almada, Portugal, research stated, “Patients suffering from periodontitis are at a higher risk of developing cognitive dysfunction. However, the mediation effect of an inflammatory diet and serum vitamin D levels in this link is unclear.”
The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Periodontology Department: “In total, 2062 participants aged 60 years or older with complete periodontal diagnosis and cognitive tests from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 were enrolled. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s disease (CERAD) word learning subtest (WLT) and CERAD delayed recall test (DRT), the animal fluency test (AFT) and the digit symbol substitution test (DSST) was used. Dietary inflammatory index (DII) was computed via nutrition datasets. Mediation analysis tested the effects of DII and vitamin D levels in the association of mean probing depth (PD) and attachment loss (AL) in all four cognitive tests. Periodontitis patients obtained worse cognitive test scores than periodontally healthy individuals. DII was negatively associated with CERAD-WLT, CERAD-DRT, AFT and DSST, and was estimated to mediate between 9.2% and 36.4% of the total association between periodontitis with cognitive dysfunction (* * p* * < 0.05). Vitamin D showed a weak association between CERAD-DRT, AFT and DSST and was estimated to between 8.1% and 73.2% of the association between periodontitis and cognitive dysfunction (* * p* * < 0.05).”
According to the news editors, the research concluded: “The association between periodontitis and impaired cognitive function seems to be mediated both by a proinflammatory dietary load and vitamin D deficiency. Future studies should further explore these mediators in the periodontitis-cognitive decline link.”
 
 
More protein doesn't mean more strength in resistance-trained middle-aged adults
University of Illinois at Urbana, March 25, 2021
A 10-week muscle-building and dietary program involving 50 middle-aged adults found no evidence that eating a high-protein diet increased strength or muscle mass more than consuming a moderate amount of protein while training. The intervention involved a standard strength-training protocol with sessions three times per week. None of the participants had previous weightlifting experience.
Published in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, the study is one of the most comprehensive investigations of the health effects of diet and resistance training in middle-aged adults, the researchers say. Participants were 40-64 years of age.
The team assessed participants' strength, lean-body mass, blood pressure, glucose tolerance and several other health measures before and after the program. They randomized participants into moderate- and high-protein diet groups. To standardize protein intake, the researchers fed each person a freshly cooked, minced beef steak and carbohydrate beverage after every training session. They also sent participants home with an isolated-protein drink to be consumed every evening throughout the 10 weeks of the study.
"The moderate-protein group consumed about 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, and the high-protein group consumed roughly 1.6 grams per kilogram per day," said Colleen McKenna, a graduate student in the division of nutritional sciences and registered dietician at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who led the study with U. of I. kinesiology and community health professor Nicholas Burd. The team kept calories equivalent in the meals provided to the two groups with additions of beef tallow and dextrose.
The study subjects kept food diaries and McKenna counseled them every other week about their eating habits and protein intake.
In an effort led by U. of I. food science and human nutrition professor Hannah Holscher, the team also analyzed gut microbes in fecal samples collected at the beginning of the intervention, after the first week - during which participants adjusted to the new diet but did not engage in physical training - and at the end of the 10 weeks. Previous studies have found that diet alone or endurance exercise alone can alter the composition of microbes in the digestive tract.
"The public health messaging has been that Americans need more protein in their diet, and this extra protein is supposed to help our muscles grow bigger and stronger," Burd said. "Middle age is a bit unique in that as we get older, we lose muscle and, by default, we lose strength. We want to learn how to maximize strength so that as we get older, we're better protected and can ultimately remain active in family and community life."
The American Food and Nutrition Board recommends that adults get 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to avoid developing a protein deficiency. The team tried to limit protein consumption in the moderate-protein group to the Recommended Daily Allowance, but their food diaries revealed those participants were consuming, on average, 1.1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Those in the high-protein group ate about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram per day - twice the recommended amount.
Burd and his colleagues hypothesized that getting one's protein from a high-quality source like beef and consuming significantly more protein than the RDA would aid in muscle growth and strength in middle-aged adults engaged in resistance training. But at the end of the 10 weeks, the team saw no significant differences between the groups. Their gains in strength, their body fat, lean body mass, glucose tolerance, kidney function, bone density and other "biomarkers" of health were roughly the same.
The only potentially negative change researchers recorded between the groups involved alterations to the population of microbes that inhabit the gut. After one week on the diet, those in the high-protein group saw changes in the abundance of some gut microbes that previous studies have linked to negative health outcomes. Burd and his colleagues found that their strength-training intervention reversed some of these changes, increasing beneficial microbes and reducing the abundance of potentially harmful ones.
"We found that high protein intake does not further increase gains in strength or affect body composition," Burd said. "It didn't increase lean mass more than eating a moderate amount of protein. We didn't see more fat loss, and body composition was the same between the groups. They got the gain in weight, but that weight gain was namely from lean-body-mass gain."
Burd said the finding makes him question the push to increase protein intake beyond 0.8-1.1 grams per kilogram of body weight, at least in middle-aged weightlifters consuming high-quality animal-based protein on a regular basis.
McKenna said the team's multidisciplinary approach and in-depth tracking of participants' dietary habits outside the laboratory makes it easier to understand the findings and apply them to daily life.
"We have recommendations for healthy eating and we have recommendations for how you should exercise, but very little research looks at how the two together impact our health," she said. The study team included exercise physiologists, registered dietitians and experts on gut microbiology.
"This allowed us to address every aspect of the intervention in the way it should be addressed," McKenna said. "We're honoring the complexity of human health with the complexity of our research."
 
Higher serum carotenoid levels linked with less visceral fat in women
Hirosaki University & Kagome Ltd (Japan), March 24 2021. 
 
Visceral fat resides within the abdomen, where it surrounds the internal organs. Visceral fat is not only challenging to lose but is associated with an increase in inflammation and disorders such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In fact, high visceral fat area is a greater predictor of cardiovascular disease than waist circumference and body mass index (BMI). 
A study reported on March 11, 2021 in Nutrients revealed an association between higher levels of carotenoids and a reduction in visceral fat area. The investigation included 310 men and 495 women who received an annual health examination as part of the Iwaki Health Promotion Project in Japan. Blood samples were analyzed for the carotenoids alpha carotene, beta carotene, beta cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Visceral fat area was measured using an abdominal bioimpedance method and BMI was calculated from anthropometric data. Diet history questionnaire responses provided information concerning food intake.
Total carotenoid levels were associated with the intake of leafy green vegetables, carrots and pumpkins, root vegetables and juice. Women’s carotenoid levels were significantly higher than those of men. Higher total carotenoid levels were associated with decreased visceral fat area and BMI in women, independent of fiber intake. Increased beta carotene, beta cryptoxanthin and lutein levels in women were also significantly associated with having a lower visceral fat area. The differences found between men and women in the study led the researchers to suggest that a threshold level of carotenoids might be necessary to influence visceral fat.
“This is the first study to evaluate the association between serum carotenoids levels and visceral fat area in healthy individuals,” Mai Matsumoto and associates announced. “Ingestion of carotenoid-rich vegetables (particularly lutein and beta carotene) may be associated with lower visceral fat area, a good predictor of cardiovascular disease, especially in women.”
 
 
 
Research suggests optimal time of day to consume longevity-supporting supplements
University of Waterloo (Ontario), March 24, 2021
 
Aging is a disease that can be fought with the appropriate combinations of supplements and behaviours, according to new research from the University of Waterloo.
Using a comprehensive mathematical model, the researchers also found that the best time of day for someone to take these supplements depends on their age. Some anti-aging supplements should be taken by young people at night, while older people should take it midday for the greatest effectiveness.
The two classes of drugs the researchers modelled are nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and Resveratrol, which have been the subject of increased interest in recent years after reports emerged on their benefits on metabolism and increased lifespan of various organisms.
A debate over whether to classify aging as a disease has been ongoing for decades, with the vast majority in the field of aging research now classifying it as such. As recently as 2015, a team of international scientists authored a paper calling it "time to classify biological aging as a disease"--and the World Health Organization has made moves that bring it closer to that definition.
"It's really important to try and change this wrong paradigm that aging is not treatable," said Mehrshad Sadria, a PhD student in Waterloo'sDepartment of Applied Mathematics. "We shouldn't think like 30 years ago when we thought that once a person gets into their 70s or 80s, they must be lethargic and ailing. 
The clear association of aging with various serious diseases is a stronger motivator for better understanding aging, Sadria said. Recognizing aging as a disease can encourage investment and promote research efforts in identifying therapies that can delay the aging process. 
"We can take these drugs that can extend our lifespan and improve our health. This study is the first step in understanding when is the best time for young people and older folks to take these supplements."
Sadria and Anita Layton, professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at Waterloo, developed a mathematical model that simulates the circadian clock and metabolism in the mouse liver. The model is age-specific and can simulate liver function in a young mouse or an aged mouse.
They found that a young person, for example, should take NMN six hours after they wake up to achieve the highest efficiency. On the other hand, young individuals should take Resveratrol at night while older people should take it midday for the greatest effectiveness. 
"The time you eat, what you eat, the time you sleep and the time you exercise are all factors that can affect your body, how you age and how you live," Layton said. "People should be mindful of when they eat and ensure that it coincides with other things in their environment that impact their sleep/wake cycle or body clock, such as exposure to light because if not, it could cause conflict within the body." 
The study, Modeling the Effect of Ageing on the Circadian Clock and Metabolism: Implications on Timing of Medication, was recently published in the journal iScience.
 
 
Sugar not so nice for your child's brain development
New research shows how high consumption affects learning, memory
University of Georgia, April 1, 2021
Sugar practically screams from the shelves of your grocery store, especially those products marketed to kids.
Children are the highest consumers of added sugar, even as high-sugar diets have been linked to health effects like obesity and heart disease and even impaired memory function. 
However, less is known about how high sugar consumption during childhood affects the development of the brain, specifically a region known to be critically important for learning and memory called the hippocampus.
New research led by a University of Georgia faculty member in collaboration with a University of Southern California research group has shown in a rodent model that daily consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages during adolescence impairs performance on a learning and memory task during adulthood. The group further showed that changes in the bacteria in the gut may be the key to the sugar-induced memory impairment.
Supporting this possibility, they found that similar memory deficits were observed even when the bacteria, called Parabacteroides, were experimentally enriched in the guts of animals that had never consumed sugar.
"Early life sugar increased Parabacteroides levels, and the higher the levels of Parabacteroides, the worse the animals did in the task," said Emily Noble, assistant professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences who served as first author on the paper. "We found that the bacteria alone was sufficient to impair memory in the same way as sugar, but it also impaired other types of memory functions as well."
Guidelines recommend limiting sugar
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a joint publication of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services, recommends limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of calories per day.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Americans between the ages 9-18 exceed that recommendation, the bulk of the calories coming from sugar-sweetened beverages.
Considering the role the hippocampus plays in a variety of cognitive functions and the fact the area is still developing into late adolescence, researchers sought to understand more about its vulnerability to a high-sugar diet via gut microbiota.
Juvenile rats were given their normal chow and an 11% sugar solution, which is comparable to commercially available sugar-sweetened beverages. 
Researchers then had the rats perform a hippocampus-dependent memory task designed to measure episodic contextual memory, or remembering the context where they had seen a familiar object before.
"We found that rats that consumed sugar in early life had an impaired capacity to discriminate that an object was novel to a specific context, a task the rats that were not given sugar were able to do," Noble said.
A second memory task measured basic recognition memory, a hippocampal-independent memory function that involves the animals' ability to recognize something they had seen previously.
In this task, sugar had no effect on the animals' recognition memory.
"Early life sugar consumption seems to selectively impair their hippocampal learning and memory," Noble said.
Additional analyses determined that high sugar consumption led to elevated levels of Parabacteroides in the gut microbiome, the more than 100 trillion microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract that play a role in human health and disease.
To better identify the mechanism by which the bacteria impacted memory and learning, researchers experimentally increased levels of Parabacteroides in the microbiome of rats that had never consumed sugar. Those animals showed impairments in both hippocampal dependent and hippocampal-independent memory tasks.
"(The bacteria) induced some cognitive deficits on its own," Noble said.
Noble said future research is needed to better identify specific pathways by which this gut-brain signaling operates. 
"The question now is how do these populations of bacteria in the gut alter the development of the brain?" Noble said. "Identifying how the bacteria in the gut are impacting brain development will tell us about what sort of internal environment the brain needs in order to grow in a healthy way."