| From: Julius Wong | 7/19/2024 1:10:19 PM | | | | | | Western Diets Pose Greater Risk of Cancer and Irritable Bowel Disease
Western diets pose a greater risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer.
The study of six prevalent diets has examined how what we consume impacts our gut microbiome – the community of microorganisms that live in our intestines – and how the shifting balance of its composition influences our overall health. The review was conducted by APC Microbiome Ireland (APC), a world renowned SFI Research Centre at University College Cork (UCC) and Teagasc, and is published in the prestigious journal Nature Reviews Microbiology.
The study, led by Prof. Catherine Stanton – an APC PI and senior principal Research Officer at Teagasc, examined Mediterranean, high-fibre, plant-based, high-protein, ketogenic, and Western diets.
The comprehensive review reveals how different diets significantly alter the composition and functionality of the gut microbiome, highlighting the production of essential molecules produced during metabolism such as short-chain fatty acids.
It underscores the detrimental effects of the Western diet, characterised by high fat and sugar intake, compared to the benefits of diets rich in plant-based and high-fibre foods.
By contrast, it finds that a Mediterranean diet, high in fruits, vegetables, is effective in managing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, IBD, and type 2 diabetes.
Prof. Stanton said: "Our review highlights the profound impact of different diets on the gut microbiome. This understanding is crucial for developing dietary recommendations that promote health and prevent disease. It’s fascinating to see how dietary choices can influence the balance of microorganisms in our gut and their metabolic functions."
The review offers valuable insights for the food industry and healthcare professionals, guiding them in making informed decisions about diet and health. The detailed analysis of how different diets affect the microbiome provides a foundation for developing targeted nutritional therapies and improving public health outcomes.
Prof. Paul Ross, Director of APC Microbiome Ireland, and co-director of UCC Futures Microbiome and Health added: "This review is a significant milestone in microbiome research. It provides a detailed look at how dietary patterns shape the gut microbiome and underscores the potential for diet-based interventions in clinical practice. It provides tangible data on how the microbiome is intrinsically relevant to creating health benefits for society."
The review also emphasises the need for exhaustive studies to better understand the causal relationships between individuals, their diet, and microorganisms. This understanding is vital for advancing precision nutrition and developing microbiome-based therapies tailored to individual health needs.
Reference: Ross FC, Patangia D, Grimaud G, et al. The interplay between diet and the gut microbiome: implications for health and disease. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41579-024-01068-4
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source. Our press release publishing policy can be accessed here.
technologynetworks.com |
| | vitamins herbs supplements longevity and aging | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
|
| From: Julius Wong | 7/19/2024 2:31:53 PM | | | | | | Secret of why Greenland sharks live so incredibly long finally revealed
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Researchers may have finally discovered the secret behind the Greenland shark's startling longevity. | Credit: Doug Perrine / Alamy Stock Photo
Greenland sharks can live for hundreds of years, but scientists have never understood why. Now, researchers may have finally discovered the secret to the animals' startling longevity: their never-changing metabolism. The surprising finding goes against scientists' previous assumptions and could have major implications for how these animals adapt to climate change.
Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) have an average lifespan of at least 250 years but can potentially reach over 500 years old, likely making them the longest-living vertebrates in the world.
These sharks dwell in the Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean at depths of up to 8,684 feet (2,647 meters).
The exact reasons for their long lifespans have been hard to pin down. Researchers have long assumed that their longevity was related to their super-cold environments — they can survive in waters as cold as 29 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 1.8 degrees Celsius) — and minimal movements, according to a statement about the latest findings.
But the new research, which was presented at the Society of Experimental Biology Conference held in Prague from July 2 to July 5, suggests the sharks' longevity could be related to their metabolic activity, which does not seem to change over time like it does in other animals.
"This is important for us as it shows the sharks don't show traditional signs of aging," study lead author Ewan Camplisson, a doctoral student at the University of Manchester, told Live Science in an email.
Metabolism is the chemical process in which enzymes break down nutrients into energy and the processes that use this energy to build and repair tissues. In most animals, the rate of metabolism decreases over time. This leads to reduced energy production, slower repair and regeneration of cells, as well as a reduced ability to remove cellular waste products that can cause further cell damage.
To measure the sharks' metabolism in the new study, the researchers took tissue samples from the muscle of 23 Greenland sharks that were caught on the south coast of Disko Island in central Greenland.
On frozen ground, a greenland sharks lays as two people collect tissue samples.
The team then measured the activity of five different enzymes in the samples to work out their metabolic rate and their response to different environmental temperatures.
The researchers then calculated the age of each shark by measuring their body length — a 2016 study created a model to estimate the age of Greenland sharks from their total body length which was used here. They found that the sampled sharks ranged from 60 to 200 years old.
Surprisingly, when the researchers compared the sharks' enzyme activity, they found that there was no change across the different ages.
"In most animals, you would anticipate seeing some enzymes have reduced activity over time as they degrade and become less efficient," Camplisson said. But this is not the case with Greenland sharks.
The stable metabolism across Greenland sharks' ages suggests they don't degenerate like other animals do, which is likely the reason for their long lifespans.
Tests also showed all enzymes had "significantly higher" activity at warmer temperatures — a finding that was expected, as enzymes tend to have higher activity at increased temperatures.
RELATED STORIES
— 'It's like we opened a buffet': Sharks in Gulf of Mexico learn to steal food from fishing nets
— Florida shark attacks caused by heat, not scary orcas, experts say
— Watch hammerhead sharks swim in 'cyclones' around ancient volcano in rare footage
"We wanted to investigate if the Greenland shark's enzymes were specifically adapted to work more effectively in cold conditions, but we did not see this trend," Camplisson said. "The higher activity in warmer conditions would suggest that if these sharks were forced into a warmer environment, then their metabolism would increase significantly which would likely alter their lifestyle."
This finding is particularly relevant, as global sea surface temperatures are expected to increase by 2.1 F to 5.8 F ( 1.2C and 3.2C) by 2100 due to global warming. And the Arctic's average temperature has already risen three times faster than the global temperature, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Camplisson hopes to test more hallmarks of aging and investigate the sharks' metabolism further to better understand how to protect them as global warming impacts their environment.
yahoo.com |
| | vitamins herbs supplements longevity and aging | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| To: Pogeu Mahone who wrote (16559) | 7/23/2024 3:17:55 AM | | From: Yorikke | | | | I believe it is the entire starch/sugar complex of foods that throws us into excess weight, poor physical and mental health, and sets the traps for the common diseases Americans' fall prey to.
Like Pogeu, I came to this conclusion some time ago. First I cut the booze, then the sugars, then many of the common starches in my diet. It has been an interesting seven years. I'm down from a 'high endurance' competition weight of about 200 @6'1" to my current weight of about 180. Most of that was organ belly fat. My gut has shrunk, and I'm wearing 34 pants sizes, down from a tight 36 at the end my Ultra Running Career. I have not worn a 34 since my 'starvation days' in some god forsaken Pacific Pairadice in the seventies.
To be honest, the competition weight was in part because my body needed to pack in reserves for those Ultra-runs where it could use fat rather than rely on me to eat my way through the trek. It allowed me to eat indiscriminately and drink plenty beers and still be relatively fit. Once I pulled back on the treks I gained weight in fat and also lost some muscle mass. What woke me up was when I realized I was drinking like I was 25 but too old to suffer through the madness of the booze.
I find the low carb and sugar diet very difficult to maintain. I crave sugar constantly. I'm not so much into processed crap, but can get into chocolates, honey, and Japanese style rice sweets. Ice cream is nirvana and I suffer every time I pass the coolers. I was for many years a vegetarian, but am now pretty Keto. |
| | vitamins herbs supplements longevity and aging | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
|
| To: Yorikke who wrote (16560) | 7/25/2024 4:56:54 PM | | From: Yorikke | | | | Metabolical By Robert Lustig.
youtube.com
This is a very good review of the sugar/starch/insulin battles within the human body. Lustig has a variety of Youtube videos over the past years. The Metabolical related Youtubes are the most recent. You can listen to these a few times, or you can watch a few as he consistently repeats his research findings. |
| | vitamins herbs supplements longevity and aging | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| To: mel221 who wrote (16554) | 7/26/2024 4:50:18 AM | | From: Yorikke | | | | Iodine washes out of the system relatively fast. If you stop taking the main dose you were on you likely need to maintain a supplemental amount on a very regular basis.
Many people complain about headaches and nausea when starting on Iodine. They don't consider the offset effects increased Iodine has on Bromine and Florine(floride) being expelled from the tissues and their cause on feelings of 'sickness and unease'.
I use lugol's solution 2% at about 10 drops per day. I put it in a glass of water and drink it down over a few minutes. It doesn't taste bad. |
| | vitamins herbs supplements longevity and aging | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Julius Wong | 7/28/2024 8:23:11 AM | | | | | | Blood tests for Alzheimer’s may be coming to your doctor’s office. Here’s what to know
WASHINGTON (AP) — New blood tests could help doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s disease faster and more accurately, researchers reported Sunday – but some appear to work far better than others.
It’s tricky to tell if memory problems are caused by Alzheimer’s. That requires confirming one of the disease’s hallmark signs — buildup of a sticky protein called beta-amyloid — with a hard-to-get brain scan or uncomfortable spinal tap. Many patients instead are diagnosed based on symptoms and cognitive exams.
Labs have begun offering a variety of tests that can detect certain signs of Alzheimer’s in blood. Scientists are excited by their potential but the tests aren’t widely used yet because there’s little data to guide doctors about which kind to order and when. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn’t formally approved any of them and there’s little insurance coverage.
“What tests can we trust?” asked Dr. Suzanne Schindler, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis who’s part of a research project examining that. While some are very accurate, “other tests are not much better than a flip of a coin.”
Demand for earlier Alzheimer’s diagnosis is increasing
More than 6 million people in the United States and millions more around the world have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Its telltale “biomarkers” are brain-clogging amyloid plaques and abnormal tau protein that leads to neuron-killing tangles.
New drugs, Leqembi and Kisunla, can modestly slow worsening symptoms by removing gunky amyloid from the brain. But they only work in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s and proving patients qualify in time can be difficult. Measuring amyloid in spinal fluid is invasive. A special PET scan to spot plaques is costly and getting an appointment can take months.
Even specialists can struggle to tell if Alzheimer’s or something else is to blame for a patient’s symptoms.
“I have patients not infrequently who I am convinced have Alzheimer’s disease and I do testing and it’s negative,” Schindler said.
New study suggests blood tests for Alzheimer’s can be simpler and faster
Blood tests so far have been used mostly in carefully controlled research settings. But a new study of about 1,200 patients in Sweden shows they also can work in the real-world bustle of doctors’ offices — especially primary care doctors who see far more people with memory problems than specialists but have fewer tools to evaluate them.
In the study, patients who visited either a primary care doctor or a specialist for memory complaints got an initial diagnosis using traditional exams, gave blood for testing and were sent for a confirmatory spinal tap or brain scan.
Blood testing was far more accurate, Lund University researchers reported Sunday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia. The primary care doctors’ initial diagnosis was 61% accurate and the specialists’ 73% — but the blood test was 91% accurate, according to the findings, which also were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Which blood tests for Alzheimer’s work best?
There’s almost “a wild West” in the variety being offered, said Dr. John Hsiao of the National Institute on Aging. They measure different biomarkers, in different ways.
Doctors and researchers should only use blood tests proven to have a greater than 90% accuracy rate, said Alzheimer’s Association chief science officer Maria Carrillo.
Today’s tests most likely to meet that benchmark measure what’s called p-tau217, Carrillo and Hsiao agreed. Schindler helped lead an unusual direct comparison of several kinds of blood tests, funded by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, that came to the same conclusion.
That type of test measures a form of tau that correlates with how much plaque buildup someone has, Schindler explained. A high level signals a strong likelihood the person has Alzheimer’s while a low level indicates that’s probably not the cause of memory loss.
Several companies are developing p-tau217 tests including ALZpath Inc., Roche, Eli Lilly and C2N Diagnostics, which supplied the version used in the Swedish study.
Who should use blood tests for Alzheimer’s?
Only doctors can order them from labs. The Alzheimer’s Association is working on guidelines and several companies plan to seek FDA approval, which would clarify proper use.
For now, Carrillo said doctors should use blood testing only in people with memory problems, after checking the accuracy of the type they order.
Especially for primary care physicians, “it really has great potential to help them in sorting out who to give a reassuring message and who to send on to memory specialists,” said Dr. Sebastian Palmqvist of Lund University, who led the Swedish study with Lund’s Dr. Oskar Hansson.
The tests aren’t yet for people who don’t have symptoms but worry about Alzheimer’s in the family — unless it’s part of enrollment in research studies, Schindler stressed.
That’s partly because amyloid buildup can begin two decades before the first sign of memory problems, and so far there are no preventive steps other than basic advice to eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep. But there are studies underway testing possible therapies for people at high risk of Alzheimer’s, and some include blood testing.
apnews.com |
| | vitamins herbs supplements longevity and aging | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
|
| To: Julius Wong who wrote (16564) | 7/29/2024 2:06:57 AM | | From: Yorikke | | | | Amyloid plaque is not a certain indicator of dementia. Build-ups of plaque and increasing memory problems are not necessarily directly correlated. In addition memory problems are common in a lot of diseases and mental illness, or simply are related to genetics; any or all of which may not involve plaque accretion.
I think its an interesting approach to look at chemical blood tests, but giving doctors increasing say over who has and does not suffer from early dementia is not particularly wise. As a class, doctors are not good at recognizing individual differences and are prone to just categorize patients. It might push many relatively functional individuals into the medical dust bin, with increased drug therapies and reduced physical and mental activity.
As one who has worked in care homes and hospices I have to say that the patients who go down the fastest are the ones who are diagnosed and put on early drug therapies. It is often like watching an animal being put in a cage and subject to restricted activity and mental inputs. Often simply removing the 'curative and sedative' drugs can restore an individuals ability to communicate. Nursing staff and family may not want to listen to them, but they often are as sane as those around them and simply voicing their objections to the abomination of the treatment routines.
We are still in the dark ages of dealing with these diseases. Much of the increase can be attributed to the relatively rapid change in the modern diet. Dementias are influenced quite heavily by diet; sugars in particular. Plaques are a possible co-result of bad diet choices and not necessarily a cause of the disease.
Always consider the possibility of finding yourself in a heavily drugged state in some rundown care home community room crowed with wheel chair bound, equally drugged individuals and reaching out to keep some fukin balloon in the air. That is physical therapy?? In my humble opinion it is, at best, purgatory, and more succinctly a circle of Hell itself. |
| | vitamins herbs supplements longevity and aging | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
|
| |
