Wednesday Aug 24, 2022

The Gary Null Show - 08.24.22

Videos:

Vitamin D May Protect Against Autoimmune Diseases
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, August 3, 2022
To investigate the effect of vitamin D and fish oil supplementation, alone and in combination, on the 5-year incidence of new-onset autoimmune disease in an older population
Design; Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a 2-by-2 factorial design
Participants: This study included 25,871 participants, of whom 12,786 were men aged ≥50 years (51%) and 13,085 were women aged ≥55 years. The mean age was 67.1 years.
Intervention: Participants were randomized to 1 of 4 groups:
Omega-3 fatty acid (1,000 mg/day; 460 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 380 mg docosahexaenoic acid) and vitamin D supplementation (2,000 IU/day)
Omega-3 fatty acid (1,000 mg/day) and placebo
Vitamin D supplementation (2,000 IU/day) and placebo
Placebo
Key Findings

In older adults, supplementing with daily vitamin D (2,000 IU) for 5 years decreased the incidence of autoimmune disease by 22%. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation alone decreased incidence of autoimmune disease by 15% but was not statistically significant. The combination of vitamin D and omega-3 did not appear to have significant added benefit. Omega-3 supplementation alone did appear to be more beneficial for prevention of autoimmune disease onset in those with a positive family history and also appeared to have more impact in the later years of the study.

It does appear that vitamin D supplementation, with or without omega-3 supplementation, decreases the incidence of new-onset autoimmune disease in people aged more than 55 years. The study did an excellent job ensuring regimen adherence with the use of biomarkers.

Bitter Orange: Another Tool to Improve Sleep
Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Iran), August 13, 2022
To determine whether inhalation of Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) daily over 4 weeks would improve the sleep of postmenopausal women. The bitter orange essential oil used in this study, made from the flowers, is also called neroli oil. The main constituent (35%) is linalool, which has several properties, including anxiolytic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and antidiabetic.8 Linalool is present in lavender essential oil also.
Inhalation of Citrus aurantium for 5 minutes, twice daily, 4 days a week for 4 weeks resulted in a significant improvement in sleep for postmenopausal women. Sleep complaints affect a significant portion of this subpopulation.
Participants: Eighty postmenopausal women, aged 45 to 60 years, participated in this study. Inclusion criteria were the ability to read and write, cessation of menses for 12 months or more, 5 or more on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire, no medical or mental disorder, available medical records, no alcohol, and no stressful events in the 6 months prior.
Intervention: Participants placed 2 drops of oil on their forearm and inhaled the aroma from a distance of 30 cm away with normal breathing for 5 minutes twice daily (10 am and 10 pm). The treatment group received 10% Citrus aurantium oil (mixed in odorless almond oil diluted with propylene glycol), while the control group received odorless almond oil, which was also diluted with propylene glycol. They inhaled the aroma 4 consecutive days each week for 4 weeks.
Key Findings: The postmenopausal women who used the Citrus aurantium oil had a statistically significant improvement in their subjective sleep, with the PSQI dropping from 12.08 to 5.75
Inhalation aromatherapy for sleep has a historical precedent, and research in this area is accumulating. Reviews have found evidence for use of bergamot, cedar, lemon, rose, sweet orange, valerian, and other essential oils. When the essential oil is smelled, molecules stimulate the olfactory system, which in turn signals the limbic system and autonomic nervous system. Essential oil molecules in the respiratory tract can directly stimulate the central nervous system.

What older adults do while they sit affects dementia risk, study indicates
University of Southern California and University of Arizona, August 22, 2022

Adults aged 60 and older who sit for long periods watching TV or other such passive, sedentary behaviors may be at increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study by USC and University of Arizona researchers.

Their study also showed that the risk is lower for those who are active while sitting, such as when they read or use computers.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It also revealed that the link between sedentary behavior and dementia risk persisted even among participants who were physically active.

“It isn’t the time spent sitting, per se, but the type of sedentary activity performed during leisure time that impacts dementia risk,” said study author David Raichlen, professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

“Our findings suggest that the brain impacts of sitting during our leisure activities are really separate from how physically active we are,” said Alexander, “and that being more mentally active, like when using computers, may be a key way to help counter the increased risk of dementia related to more passive sedentary behaviors, like watching TV.”

Three Unusual Green Tea Benefits – From Three Unique Forms
GreenMedInfo Research Group, August 23, 2022

Green Tea Extract for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is among the most disabling and common complications of diabetes.

Green tea’s catechins, amino acids, polyphenols and other diverse compounds offer a range of properties that may benefit DPN, including hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and even anti-neuroinflammatory effects. In a 16-week study, 194 patients with DPN received either green tea extract or placebo.

Significant improvements were noted in the green tea extract group, including:

Positive impact on insulin resistance and glucose homeostasis
Reduced fasting insulin levels
Anti-adiposity effects
Beneficial effects on lipid and insulin levels (green tea has been found to outperform the diabetes drug metformin for this purpose)
Anti-inflammatory effects

Matcha Improves Cognitive Function — Even While You’re Stressed

Catechin, l-theanine and caffeine are among the compounds in matcha known to affect cognitive function, and researchers from Japan have found that daily matcha consumption improves attention and executive function in middle-aged and older adults.

They were curious whether these benefits extended to younger adults as well, so they gave two grams of matcha (in capsule form) to 42 25- to 34-year-olds daily for two weeks while subjecting them to mild psychological stress, which is known to cause a decline in cognitive function.

Matcha intake led to maintained attentional function during the stressful period, which suggests it may be useful for helping young adults stay productive and focused while going through their daily grind.

L-Theanine Boosts Brain Function

L-theanine is an amino acid found primarily in tea leaves and mushrooms. It’s particularly prevalent in matcha tea, where it

One Japanese study compared the cognitive effects of a single dose of l-theanine, 12 weeks of regular l-theanine consumption and placebo among adults aged 50 to 69 years. Benefits were found after 12 weeks and even after a single dose, with the researchers stating: A single dose of l-theanine reduced reaction time in the attention task and increased correct answers and decreased the number of omission errors in the working memory task. This suggests that l-theanine may improve working memory and executive function based on the improvement in attention.

Misguided justice: People hurt others to signal their own virtue, study says
University of California-San Diego, August 22, 2022
People often proclaim that “violence is never the answer,” but researchers from the University of California-San Diego find many can’t help but turn to violence when facing a situation that they consider unjust. The study finds people hurt others because, from their perspective, violence is actually the morally right thing to do.

With these findings in mind, the team at UCSD add that such individuals will not respond rationally to material benefits or punishments. In other words, throwing someone in jail for a violent offense probably won’t reform the offender if he or she still believes they did the right thing. Similarly, threats involving fines or jail time may not be as effective of a deterrent as lawmakers hope.

These findings are based on numerous experiments involving close to 1,500 study participants. The group received a monetary reward for punishing others. Interestingly, though, when participants actually received money for punishing others, it made them less likely to do so.

“Monetary gains may conflict with their perceived moral justifications,” Prof. Rai adds. “People punish others to signal their own goodness and receiving compensation might make it seem as though they’re driven by greed rather than justice. However, I also find that if your peers tell you you’re still a good person even if you take the money, then you no longer have moral qualms about harming others for profit.”

“When people are aware that they’re being judged negatively by their peers, they may find themselves more likely to question their claims of moral righteousness,” Rai explains.

“The findings suggest people may be more hesitant to do harm when they stand to profit from it if they anticipate condemnation from their peers,” Prof. Rai notes.

Pineapple juice is 500% more effective than cough syrup, study shows

Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology (India), August 16, 2022

Researchers in India – which has a strong history of natural healing due to its Ayurvedic traditions – compared the effects of over-the-counter syrups to a natural mixture of pineapple juice, salt, pepper and honey on the coughs of tuberculosis patients. It was found that the natural mixture was far more effective at soothing down coughs and throat irritation than the commercial preparation.

This sparked other studies on the subject, and scientists came to the conclusion that the reason that pineapple juice is so effective for taming a cough is the presence of bromelain, an enzyme that has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which allow it to reduce irritation of the throat and thus relieve even persistent coughing.

Also helpful is the fact that pineapple contains high amounts of vitamin C (another power antioxidant) as well as a wealth of vitamin A and minerals like magnesium, manganese and potassium, all of which help boost the immune system and make it easier for the body to fight off infections that cause coughs in the first place