Category: Diet and Nutrition

Categories : Diet and Nutrition GastrointestinalTags :

Dietary Intervention Trumps Drugs for IBS Treatment

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Irritable bowel syndrome. Credit: Scientific Animations CC4.0

Dietary treatment is more effective than medications in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to the results of a study conducted at the University of Gothenburg. With dietary adjustments, more than seven out of ten patients had significantly reduced symptoms.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common diagnosis that causes abdominal pain, gas and abdominal bloating, diarrhoea, and constipation, in various combinations and with varying degrees of severity.

Treatment often consists of dietary advice such as eating small and frequent meals and avoiding excessive intake of food triggers such as coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks. Patients may also be given medications to improve specific symptoms, such as gas or constipation, diarrhoea, bloating or abdominal pain. Antidepressants are sometimes used to improve symptoms in IBS.

The current study, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, compared three treatments: two dietary and one medication-based. The participants were adult patients with severe or moderate IBS symptoms at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg.

More symptom relief after dietary adjustment

The first group was given traditional IBS dietary advice, focusing on eating behaviour combined with low intake of fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs). These include products with lactose, legumes, onions, and grains, which ferment in the colon and can cause pain in IBS.

The second group received a dietary treatment low in carbohydrates and proportionally high in protein and fat. In the third group, the best possible medication was given based on the patient’s most troublesome IBS symptoms.

Each group included around 100 participants in four-week treatment periods. Treatment response was measure with an established IBS symptom scoring scale.

Of those who received traditional IBS dietary advice and low content of FODMAPs, 76% had significantly reduced symptoms. In the group receiving low carbohydrates and high protein and fat, the proportion was 71%, and in the medication group 58%.

All groups reported significantly better quality of life, less physical symptoms and less symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The importance of personalisation

At a six-month follow-up, when participants in the dietary groups had partially returned to their previous eating habits, a large proportion still had clinically significant symptom relief; 68% in the traditional dietary advice and low FODMAP group, and 60% in the low-carbohydrate diet group.

The study was led by Sanna Nybacka, Researcher and Dietician, Stine Störsrud, Associate Professor, and Magnus Simrén, Professor and Senior Consultant, all at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

“With this study, we can show that diet plays a central role in the treatment of IBS, but that there are several alternative treatments that are effective,” says Sanna Nybacka.

“We need more knowledge about how to best personalise the treatment of IBS in the future and we will further investigate whether there are certain factors that can predict whether individuals will respond better to different treatment options,” she concludes.

Source: University of Gothenburg

Categories : Diet and Nutrition PaediatricsTags :

Giving Fizzy Drinks to Toddlers Increases Adult Obesity Risk

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Consuming sugar-sweetened drinks in the first few years of childhood can be linked to poor diet patterns that increase the risk of obesity in later life, according to a new study by the School of Psychology at Swansea University.

Published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study tracked the influence of diet on 14 000 British children from birth to adulthood and is believed to be the longest of its kind ever reported.

Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, the research team found:

  • Children who drank fizzy drinks such as cola or sugar-sweetened fruit cordials before the age of two gained more weight when they were 24 years old. Girls who had pure fruit juice gained less weight, while the weight of boys remained the same.
  • At three years of age, toddlers who drank cola consumed more calories, fat, protein, and sugar but less fibre. In contrast, those given pure apple juice consumed less fat and sugar but higher amounts of fibre.

The study also highlighted corresponding differences in food choices.

Children who consumed pure apple juice often followed a diet with more fish, fruit, green vegetables, and salad, whereas those drinking cola ate more burgers, sausages, pizza, french fries, meat, chocolate, and sweets.

Additionally, the team discovered a link between sugar-sweetened drinks and social deprivation, with children from affluent backgrounds more likely to have access to pure fruit juice.

Lead researcher Professor David Benton said: “The early diet establishes a food pattern that influences, throughout life, whether weight increases. The important challenge is to ensure that a child develops a good dietary habit: one that offers less fat and sugar, although pure fruit juice, one of your five a day, adds vitamin C, potassium, folate, and plant polyphenols.”

Dr Hayley Young added: “Obesity is a serious health concern, one that increases the risk of many other conditions. Our study shows that the dietary causes of adult obesity begin in early childhood and that if we are to control it, more attention needs to be given to our diet in the first years of life.”

Source: Swansea University

Categories : Diet and Nutrition PaediatricsTags :

Obese and Overweight Children at Risk of Iron Deficiency

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Children and young people who are overweight or obese are at significantly higher risk of iron deficiency, according to a study by nutritional scientists at the University of Leeds.

Researchers from the School of Food Science and Nutrition examined thousands of medical studies from 44 countries involving people under the age of 25 where levels of iron and other vitamins and minerals had been recorded alongside weight. They found that iron deficiency was associated with both underweight and overweight children and adolescents.

By contrast, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies were only observed in children who were undernourished, leading researchers to conclude that iron deficiency in overweight children is probably due to inflammation disrupting the mechanisms that regulate iron absorption.

The results of the research appear in the journal BMJ Global Health.

Iron deficiency in children has a negative effect on brain function, including attention, concentration and memory, and can increase the risk of conditions, such as autism and ADHD.

It is already recognised as a problem in adults living with obesity, but this research is the first to look at the association in children.

Lead author Xiaomian Tan, a Doctoral Researcher in the University of Leeds’ School of Food Science and Nutrition said: “The relationship between undernutrition and critical micronutrients for childhood growth and development is well established, but less is known about the risk of deficiencies in iron, vitamin A and zinc in children and adolescents who are overweight or obese, making this a hidden form of malnutrition.

“Our research is hugely important given the high prevalence of obesity in children. We hope it will lead to increased recognition of the problem by healthcare practitioners and improvements in clinical practice and care.”

Hidden hunger

Historically the problem has been linked to malnutrition and is a particular concern for lower- and middle-income countries where hunger may be the leading cause of mortality for young children.

Increasingly though it is being recognised that vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also occur in people who are overweight and obese and who have a nutrient-poor but energy-dense diet, something which has been described as ‘hidden hunger’.

In high-income countries it is associated with ultra-processed foods that are high in fat, sugar, salt, and energy but in lower- and middle-income countries obesity is often associated with poverty and monotonous diets with limited choices of staples such as corn, wheat, rice, and potatoes.

Many developing countries are now facing a double burden of malnutrition alongside overnutrition due to the rapid increase in the global prevalence of obesity in recent decades, especially in children aged between five and 19.

Undernutrition versus overnutrition

The research also highlights differences in focus between higher income countries and developing nations, with most studies in Africa and Asia focusing on undernutrition and those from North America and Europe focusing entirely on overnutrition.

The researchers say this is particularly concerning as both Africa and Asia are experiencing the highest double burden of malnutrition due to economic growth and the transition to a western-style high-sugar, high-fat diet.

Between the years 2000 and 2017, the number of overweight children under the age of five in Africa increased from 6.6 to 9.7 million, and in Asia that figure rose from 13.9 to 17.5 million. At the same time, there was an increase in the number of stunted children under 5, from 50.6 to 58.7 million in Africa.

Research supervisor Bernadette Moore, Professor of Nutritional Sciences in Leeds’ School of Food Science and Nutrition, said: “These stark figures underscore the fact that the investigation of micronutrient deficiencies in relation to the double burden of malnutrition remains critically important for child health.

“By the age of 11 here in the UK, one in three children are living with overweight or obesity, and our data suggests that even in overweight children inflammation leading to iron deficiency can be an issue.

“Iron status may be the canary in the coalmine, but the real issue is that prolonged inflammation leads to heart disease, diabetes and fatty liver.”

Increasing physical activity and improving diet have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve iron status in children and the researchers are now calling for further studies into the effectiveness of these interventions.

They also believe that more research is needed into micronutrient deficiencies and the double burden of malnutrition and overnutrition in countries where there are currently gaps in data.

Source: University of Leeds

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Diet and NutritionTags :

Eggs are not the Cholesterol Menace They were Thought to be

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Many people hesitate to eat eggs amid concerns that they may raise cholesterol levels, with negative cardiovascular consequences. However, results from a prospective, controlled trial presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session show that over a four-month period cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular markers were similar among people who ate fortified eggs most days of the week compared with a non-egg eating control group.

A total of 140 patients with or at high risk for cardiovascular disease were enrolled in the PROSPERITY trial, which aimed to assess the effects of eating 12 or more fortified eggs a week versus a non-egg diet (consuming less than two eggs a week) on HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, as well as other key markers of cardiovascular health over a four-month study period.

“We know that cardiovascular disease is, to some extent, mediated through risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and increased BMI and diabetes. Dietary patterns and habits can have a notable influence on these and there’s been a lot of conflicting information about whether or not eggs are safe to eat, especially for people who have or are at risk for heart disease,” said Nina Nouhravesh, MD, a research fellow at the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina, and the study’s lead author. “This is a small study, but it gives us reassurance that eating fortified eggs is OK with regard to lipid effects over four months, even among a more high-risk population.”

Eggs are a common and relatively inexpensive source of protein and dietary cholesterol. Nouhravesh and her team wanted to look specifically at fortified eggs as they contain less saturated fat and additional vitamins and minerals, such as iodine, vitamin D, selenium, vitamin B2, 5 and 12, and omega-3 fatty acids.

For this study, patients were randomly assigned to eat 12 fortified eggs a week (cooked in whatever manner they chose) or to eat fewer than two eggs of any kind (fortified or not) per week.  All patients were 50 years of age or older (the average age was 66 years), half were female and 27% were Black. All patients had experienced one prior cardiovascular event or had two cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased BMI or diabetes. The co-primary endpoint was LDL and HDL cholesterol at four months. Secondary endpoints included lipid, cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers and levels of vitamin and minerals. 

Patients had in-person clinic visits at the start of the study and visits at one and four months to take vital signs and have bloodwork done. Phone check-ins occurred at two and three months and patients in the fortified egg group were asked about their weekly egg consumption. Those with low adherence were provided additional education materials.

Results showed a -0.64mg/dL and a -3.14mg/dL reduction in HDL-cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, respectively, in the fortified egg group. While these differences weren’t statistically significant, the researchers said the differences suggest that eating 12 fortified eggs each week had no adverse effect on blood cholesterol. In terms of secondary endpoints, researchers observed a numerical reduction in total cholesterol, LDL particle number, another lipid biomarker called apoB, high-sensitivity troponin (a marker of heart damage), and insulin resistance scores in the fortified egg group, while vitamin B increased.

“While this is a neutral study, we did not observe adverse effects on biomarkers of cardiovascular health and there were signals of potential benefits of eating fortified eggs that warrant further investigation in larger studies as they are more hypothesis generating here,” Nouhravesh said, explaining that subgroup analyses revealed numerical increases in HDL cholesterol and reductions in LDL cholesterol in patients 65 years or older and those with diabetes in the fortified egg group compared with those eating fewer than two eggs.

So why have eggs gotten a bad rap? Some of the confusion stems from the fact that egg yolks contain cholesterol. Experts said a more important consideration, especially in the context of these findings, might be what people are eating alongside their eggs, such as buttered toast, bacon and other processed meats, which are not heart healthy choices. As always, Nouhravesh said it’s a good idea for people with heart disease to talk with their doctor about a heart healthy diet.

This single-centre study is limited by its small size and reliance on patients’ self-reporting of their egg consumption and other dietary patterns. It was also an unblinded study, which means patients knew what study group they were in, which can influence their health behaviours.

The study was funded by Eggland’s Best.

Source: American College of Cardiology

Categories : Diet and Nutrition Mental HealthTags :

Can a Ketogenic Diet Treat Serious Mental Illnesses?

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Antipsychotic medications for serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder often causes metabolic side effects such as insulin resistance and obesity, leading some patients to discontinue the treatment.

Now, a pilot study led by Stanford Medicine researchers has found that a ketogenic diet not only restores metabolic health in these patients as they continue their medications, but it further improves their psychiatric conditions. The results, published in Psychiatry Research, suggest that a dietary intervention can be a powerful aid in treating mental illness.

“It’s very promising and very encouraging that you can take back control of your illness in some way, aside from the usual standard of care,” said Shebani Sethi, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and the first author of the new paper.

The senior author of the paper is Laura Saslow, PhD, associate professor of health behavior and biological sciences at the University of Michigan.

Making the connection

Sethi, who is board certified in obesity and psychiatry, remembers when she first noticed the connection. As a medical student working in an obesity clinic, she saw a patient with treatment-resistant schizophrenia whose auditory hallucinations quieted on a ketogenic diet.

That prompted her to dig into the medical literature. There were only a few, decades-old case reports on using the ketogenic diet to treat schizophrenia, but there was a long track record of success in using ketogenic diets to treat epileptic seizures.

“The ketogenic diet has been proven to be effective for treatment-resistant epileptic seizures by reducing the excitability of neurons in the brain,” Sethi said. “We thought it would be worth exploring this treatment in psychiatric conditions.”

A few years later, Sethi coined the term metabolic psychiatry, a new field that approaches mental health from an energy conversion perspective.

Meat and vegetables

In the four-month pilot trial, Sethi’s team followed 21 adult participants who were diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, taking antipsychotic medications, and had a metabolic abnormality – such as weight gain, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridaemia, dyslipidaemia or impaired glucose tolerance. The participants were instructed to follow a ketogenic diet, with approximately 10% of the calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 60% from fat. They were not told to count calories.

“The focus of eating is on whole non-processed foods including protein and non-starchy vegetables, and not restricting fats,” said Sethi, who shared keto-friendly meal ideas with the participants. They were also given keto cookbooks and access to a health coach.

The research team tracked how well the participants followed the diet through weekly measures of blood ketone levels, which are produced when the body breaks down fat instead of glucose for energy. By the end of the trial, 14 patients had been fully adherent, six were semi-adherent and only one was non-adherent.

Physical and mental improvement

The participants underwent a variety of psychiatric and metabolic assessments throughout the trial.

Before the trial, 29% of the participants met the criteria for metabolic syndrome, defined as having at least three of five conditions: abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting glucose levels. After four months on a ketogenic diet, none of the participants had metabolic syndrome.

On average, the participants lost 10% of their body weight; reduced their waist circumference by 11% percent; and had lower blood pressure, body mass index, triglycerides, blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.

“We’re seeing huge changes,” Sethi said. “Even if you’re on antipsychotic drugs, we can still reverse the obesity, the metabolic syndrome, the insulin resistance. I think that’s very encouraging for patients.”

The psychiatric benefits were also striking. On average, the participants improved 31% on a psychiatrist rating of mental illness known as the clinical global impressions scale, with three-quarters of the group showing clinically meaningful improvement. Overall, the participants also reported better sleep and greater life satisfaction.

“The participants reported improvements in their energy, sleep, mood and quality of life,” Sethi said. “They feel healthier and more hopeful.”

The researchers were impressed that most of the participants stuck with the diet. “We saw more benefit with the adherent group compared with the semi-adherent group, indicating a potential dose-response relationship,” Sethi said.

Alternative fuel for the brain

There is increasing evidence that psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder stem from metabolic deficits in the brain, which affect the excitability of neurons, Sethi said. The researchers hypothesise that just as a ketogenic diet improves the rest of the body’s metabolism, it also improves the brain’s metabolism.

“Anything that improves metabolic health in general is probably going to improve brain health anyway,” Sethi said. “But the ketogenic diet can provide ketones as an alternative fuel to glucose for a brain with energy dysfunction.”

Likely there are multiple mechanisms at work, she added, and the main purpose of the small pilot trial is to help researchers detect signals that will guide the design of larger, more robust studies.

As a physician, Sethi cares for many patients with both serious mental illness and obesity or metabolic syndrome, but few studies have focused on this undertreated population. She is founder and director of the metabolic psychiatry clinic at Stanford Medicine.

“Many of my patients suffer from both illnesses, so my desire was to see if metabolic interventions could help them,” she said. “They are seeking more help. They are looking to just feel better.”

Source: Stanford Medicine

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags :

Do Sweeteners Increase Appetite? New Randomised Controlled Trial Says No

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Replacing sugar with artificial and natural sweeteners in foods has been the subject of a great deal of controversy, due to conflicting reports about their potential to increase appetite. But according to a significant new study published in eBioMedicine, it does not in fact make people hungrier as is often held – and also helps to reduce blood sugar levels.

Previous studies into whether sugar replacement with sweeteners increase appetite have been carried out but did not provide robust evidence. But the researchers say that their study, which meets the gold standard level of proof in scientific investigation, provides very strong evidence that sweeteners and sweetness enhancers do not negatively impact appetite and are beneficial for reducing sugar intake.

The double blind randomised controlled trial found that consuming food containing sweeteners produced a similar reduction in appetite sensations and appetite-related hormone responses as sugary foods. Additionally, it was found to provide some benefits such as lowering blood sugar, which may be particularly important in people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The trial was led by the University of Leeds in collaboration with the The Rhône-Alpes Research Center for Human Nutrition. It is the latest study to be published by the SWEET consortium of 29 European research, consumer and industry partners which is working to develop and review evidence on long term benefits and potential risks involved in switching over to sweeteners and sweetness enhancers in the context of public health and safety, obesity, and sustainability. It was funded by Horizon Europe.

Lead author Catherine Gibbons, Associate Professor in the University of Leeds’ School of Psychology, said: “Reducing sugar consumption has become a key public health target in the fight to reduce the rising burden of obesity-related metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

“Simply restricting sugar from foods without substitution may negatively impact its taste or increase sweet cravings, resulting in difficulties sticking to a low-sugar diet. Replacing sugars with sweeteners and sweetness enhancers in food products is one of the most widely used dietary and food manufacturing strategies to reduce sugar intake and improve the nutritional profile of commercial foods and beverages.”

Principal investigator Graham Finlayson, Professor of Psychobiology in the University of Leeds’ School of Psychology, said: “The use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers has received a lot of negative attention, including high profile publications linking their consumption with impaired glycaemic response, toxicological damage to DNA and increased risk of heart attack and stroke. These reports contribute to the current befuddlement concerning the safety of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers among the general public and especially people at risk of metabolic diseases.

“Our study provides crucial evidence supporting the day-to-day use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers for body weight and blood sugar control.”

Until now, virtually all studies of the effects of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers on appetite and glycaemia have been conducted using beverages as the vehicle. Few studies include volunteers with overweight or obesity and few have included volunteers of both sexes.

Most studies have only compared a single sweetener, mostly aspartame, with a control, and very few studies have examined the effect of repeated daily intake of a known sweetener or sweetness enhancer in the normal diet.

The study, which is the first of its kind, looked at the effects of consuming biscuits containing either sugar or two types of food sweetener: natural sugar substitute Stevia, or artificial sweetener Neotame on 53 adult men and women with overweight or obesity. Participants were all aged 18 to 60, with overweight or obesity.

The trial consisted of three two-week consumption periods, where participants consumed biscuits with either fruit filling containing sugar; natural sugar substitute Stevia, or artificial sweetener Neotame, each separated by a break of 14–21 days. Day 1 and day 14 of the consumption periods took place in the lab.

Participants were instructed to arrive in the lab after an overnight fast, a blood sample was taken to establish baseline levels of glucose, insulin and appetite-related hormones. They were also asked to rate their appetite and food preferences.

After consuming the biscuits, they were asked to rate how full they felt over several hours. Glucose and insulin levels were measured, as were ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and pancreatic polypeptide – hormones associated with the consumption of food.

The results from the two sweetener types showed no differences in appetite or endocrine responses compared to sugar, but insulin levels measured over two hours after eating were reduced, as were blood sugar levels.

Source: University of Leeds

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags :

Inaoside A, a New Antioxidant Derived from Mushrooms

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Natural products have unique chemical structures and biological activities and can play a pivotal role in advancing pharmaceutical science. In a pioneering study, researchers from Shinshu University discovered Inaoside A, an antioxidant derived from Laetiporus cremeiporus mushrooms. This breakthrough, published in the journal Heliyon, sheds light on the potential of mushrooms as a source of therapeutic bioactive compounds.

The search for novel bioactive compounds from natural sources has gained considerable momentum in recent years due to the need for new therapeutic agents to combat various health challenges. Among a diverse array of natural products, mushrooms have emerged as a rich reservoir of bioactive molecules with potential pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. The genus Laetiporus has attracted attention for its extracts exhibiting antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antithrombin bioactivities. The species Laetiporus cremeiporus, spread across East Asia, has also been reported to show antioxidant properties. However, the identification and characterisation of specific antioxidant compounds from this species have not been conducted.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers led by Assistant Professor Atsushi Kawamura from the Department of Biomolecular Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, along with Hidefumi Makabe from the Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, and Akiyoshi Yamada from the Department of Mountain Ecosystem, Institute for Mountain Science, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, recently discovered the antioxidant compound derived from L. cremeiporus.

The researchers collected fresh fruiting bodies of L. cremeiporus from the Ina campus of Shinshu University. The obtained extracts were concentrated and partitioned between water and ethyl acetate. After this, the extracts were subjected to advanced chromatographic techniques, which led to the successful isolation of Inaoside A, a new antioxidant phenolic compound, along with three other well-characterised bioactive compounds, i.e., 5′-S-methyl-5′-thioadenosine (MTA), nicotinamide, and adenosine.

“Our study marks the pioneering discovery of Inaoside A from an extract of the edible mushroom Laetiporus cremeiporus. To date, there has been only one prior report on the biological function of an extract of L. cremeiporus. We are the first to uncover the isolation of an antioxidant compound from L. cremeiporus,” states Professor Kawamura, highlighting the breakthrough research.

Next, the researchers wanted to determine the structure of the newly found antioxidant compound. For this, they utilised one and two- dimensional NMR and other spectroscopic analyses. The structure of Inaoside A revealed a planar configuration. With a molecular formula of C17H24O7, the compound was found to feature a distinctive ribose moiety, identified as α-ribofuranoside through stereochemical analysis. Subsequent investigation into the absolute stereochemistry confirmed the D-ribose configuration, thereby reinforcing the planar structure of this compound.

The mushroom extracts were then isolated into fractions to determine the antioxidant activities of the four isolated bioactive compounds. These fractions were then examined by DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide dismutase assays. The findings were noteworthy as the DPPH radical scavenging activity exhibited by Inaoside A was significant, showing 80% inhibition at 100μg/mL, indicative of its significant antioxidant properties. The IC50 value of Inaoside A was determined to be 79.9μM, further highlighting its efficacy as an antioxidant agent.

What are the objectives of the researchers following the discovery of Inaoside? Professor Kawamura reveals, “We are now focusing on investigating the chemical compositions and biological properties of natural compounds obtained from mushrooms. Our goal is to uncover the potential of edible mushrooms as functional foods through this discovery.”

The identification of Inaoside A as an antioxidant from Laetiporus cremeiporus marks a significant breakthrough in natural product research, highlighting the potential of mushrooms as a source of therapeutic bioactive compounds. These findings may lead to the development of novel antioxidant-based therapies for various health conditions. Further studies should focus on synthetic research and detailed investigations into the biological activity of Inaoside A, aiming to harness its potential as a pharmaceutical lead compound.

Source: Shinshu University

Categories : Ageing Diet and NutritionTags :

Molecule Present in both the Body and Coffee Improves Muscle Function in Ageing

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A research consortium led by Nestlé Research in Switzerland and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) made a recent discovery that the natural molecule trigonelline – present in coffee, fenugreek, and also in the human body – can help to improve muscle health and function. The researchers published their findings in Nature Metabolism.

In an international collaboration among the University of Southampton, University of Melbourne, University of Tehran, University of South Alabama, University of Toyama and University of Copenhagen, the work builds on a previous collaborative study that described novel mechanisms of human sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is a condition where cellular changes that happen during ageing gradually weaken the muscles in the body and lead to accelerated loss of muscle mass, strength and reduced physical independence.

One important problem during sarcopenia is that the cellular cofactor NAD+ declines during ageing, while mitochondria, the energy powerhouses in our cells, produce less energy.

The study team discovered that levels of trigonelline were lower in older people with sarcopenia.

Providing this molecule in pre-clinical models resulted in increased levels of NAD+, increased mitochondrial activity and contributed to the maintenance of muscle function during ageing.

NAD+ levels can be enhanced with different dietary precursors like the essential amino acid L-tryptophan (L-Trp), and vitamin B3 forms such as nicotinic acid (NA), nicotinamide (NAM), nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).

Assistant Professor Vincenzo Sorrentino from the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme at NUS Medicine added, “Our findings expand the current understanding of NAD+ metabolism with the discovery of trigonelline as a novel NAD+ precursor and increase the potential of establishing interventions with NAD+-producing vitamins for both healthy longevity and age-associated diseases applications.”

Nutrition and physical activity are important lifestyle recommendations to maintain healthy muscles during ageing. “We were excited to discover through collaborative research that a natural molecule from food cross-talks with cellular hallmarks of ageing. The benefits of trigonelline on cellular metabolism and muscle health during ageing opens promising translational applications,” said Jerome Feige, Head of the Physical Health department at Nestlé Research.

Source: National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Categories : Diet and Nutrition PaediatricsTags :

Avid Appetite in Childhood Linked to Symptoms of Eating Disorder Later on

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An enthusiastic response to food in early childhood may be linked to a higher likelihood of experiencing eating disorder symptoms in adolescence, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL and Erasmus University Rotterdam.

The study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, looked at survey data from 3670 young people in the UK and the Netherlands to investigate how appetite traits in early childhood might relate to the likelihood of developing eating disorder symptoms up to 10 years later.

The team also found that a slower pace of eating and feeling full more quickly (high sensitivity to satiety) in early childhood may be protective against developing some eating disorder symptoms later.

Co-lead author Dr Ivonne Derks (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care) said: “Although our study cannot prove causality, our findings suggest food cue responsiveness may be one predisposing risk factor for the onset of eating disorder symptoms in adolescence.

“However, high responsiveness to food is also a normal and very common behaviour and should be seen as just one potential risk factor among many rather than something to cause parents worry.”

Higher food responsiveness was linked to a 16% to 47% increase in the odds of reporting eating disorder symptoms, including binge eating symptoms, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, restrained eating and compensatory behaviours.

The 47% increase was found for binge eating symptoms (eating a very large amount of food and/or experiencing the feeling of loss of control over eating), meaning that adolescents whose parents rated them highest on food responsiveness were almost three times more likely to report binge eating symptoms compared to adolescents whose parents scored them lowest.

A 16% increase in odds was found for restrained eating, whereby a person restricts their intake of food to lose weight or avoid weight gain.

Just like food responsiveness, emotional overeating in early childhood was also linked with higher odds of engaging in compensatory behaviours, which are intended to avoid weight gain, such as skipping meals, fasting and excessive exercise.

In turn, some appetite traits seemed to be protective against developing eating disorder symptoms later. Higher satiety responsiveness – that is, feeling full more quickly after eating, and feeling full for longer – was linked to lower odds of uncontrolled eating (defined as the extent to which someone feels out of control and eats more than usual) and compensatory behaviours.

A slower pace of eating, meanwhile, was linked to lower odds of compensatory behaviours and restrained eating.

The researchers also found that appetite traits such as food fussiness, emotional undereating (eating less due to low mood), and enjoyment of food in early childhood were not linked to later eating disorder symptoms in adolescence.

For the study, the researchers looked at data from two separate longitudinal studies: Generation R, following children born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, between 2002 and 2006, and Gemini, which follows twins born in England and Wales in 2007.

Appetite traits were assessed based on parents’ questionnaire responses when the children were aged four or five. Eating disorder symptoms were self-reported by the then adolescents themselves at ages 12 to 14, when eating disorder symptoms typically start to emerge.

About 10% of the adolescents reported binge eating symptoms, where people eat an unusual amount of food and/or experience the feeling of loss of control over eating. Next to that, 50% reported at least one behaviour to compensate their food intake or to avoid gaining weight, such as skipping a meal.

Co-senior author Dr Clare Llewellyn (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care) said: “While the role of appetite in the development of obesity has been studied for many decades, this is the first study to comprehensively examine the role of appetite traits in the development of eating disorder symptoms.

“Eating disorders can be harder to treat effectively once they develop and so it would be better to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Our work in identifying risk factors in early life aims to support the development of possible prevention strategies. These could, for instance, involve providing extra support to children at higher risk.”

Appetite traits are divided into food approach appetitive traits (eg, food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, emotional overeating) and food avoidance traits (eg, satiety responsiveness, food fussiness, slowness in eating, emotional undereating).

The researchers found that non-responsive feeding practices, such as putting pressure on children to eat or using food as a reward or to soothe emotions, were linked to a higher likelihood of specific eating disorder symptoms later. However, the associations were small and varied between the two cohorts, and the researchers said further replication studies were needed.

Source: University College London

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags :

How the Body’s Organs Respond to Seven Days without Food

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New findings reveal that the body undergoes significant, systematic changes across multiple organs during prolonged periods of fasting. The results published in Nature Metabolism, demonstrate evidence of health benefits beyond weight loss, but also show that any potentially health-altering changes appear to occur only after three days without food.

By identifying the potential health benefits from fasting and their underlying molecular basis, researchers from Queen Mary University of London’s Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) and the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences provide a road map for future research that could lead to therapeutic interventions – including for people that may benefit from fasting but cannot undergo prolonged fasting or fasting-mimicking, such as ketogenic, diets.

Over millennia, humans have developed the ability to survive without food for prolonged periods of time. Fasting is practiced by millions of people throughout the world for different medical and cultural purposes, including health benefits and weight loss. Since ancient times, it has been used to treat diseases such as epilepsy and rheumatoid arthritis.

During fasting, the body changes its source and type of energy, switching from consumed calories to using its own fat stores. However, beyond this change in fuel sources, little is known about how the body responds to prolonged periods without food and any health impacts – beneficial or adverse – this may have. New techniques allowing researchers to measure thousands of proteins circulating in our blood provide the opportunity to systematically study molecular adaptions to fasting in humans in great detail.

Researchers followed 12 healthy volunteers taking part in a seven-day water-only fast. The volunteers were monitored closely on a daily basis to record changes in the levels of around 3000 proteins in their blood before, during, and after the fast. By identifying which proteins are involved in the body’s response, the researchers could then predict potential health outcomes of prolonged fasting by integrating genetic information from large-scale studies.

As expected, the researchers observed the body switching energy sources – from glucose to fat stored in the body – within the first two or three days of fasting. The volunteers lost an average of 5.7kg of both fat mass and lean mass. After three days of eating after fasting, the weight stayed off – the loss of lean was almost completely reversed, but the fat mass stayed off.

For the first time, the researchers observed the body undergoing distinct changes in protein levels after about three days of fasting – indicating a whole-body response to complete calorie restriction. Overall, one in three of the proteins measured changed significantly during fasting across all major organs. These changes were consistent across the volunteers, but there were signatures distinctive to fasting that went beyond weight loss, such as changes in proteins that make up the supportive structure for neurons in the brain.

Claudia Langenberg, Director of Queen Mary’s Precision Health University Research Institute (PHURI), said:

“For the first time, we’re able to see what’s happening on a molecular level across the body when we fast. Fasting, when done safely, is an effective weight loss intervention. Popular diets that incorporate fasting — such as intermittent fasting — claim to have health benefits beyond weight loss. Our results provide evidence for the health benefits of fasting beyond weight loss, but these were only visible after three days of total caloric restriction — later than we previously thought.”

Maik Pietzner, Health Data Chair of PHURI and co-lead of the Computational Medicine Group at Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, said:

“Our findings have provided a basis for some age-old knowledge as to why fasting is used for certain conditions. While fasting may be beneficial for treating some conditions, often times, fasting won’t be an option to patients suffering from ill health. We hope that these findings can provide information about why fasting is beneficial in certain cases, which can then be used to develop treatments that patients are able to do.”

Source: Queen Mary University of London