Podcasts about stop hypertension dash

¿Cómo puede la alimentación influir en un envejecimiento saludable? Un estudio reciente de la Nurses' Health Study y el Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, con datos de más de 30 años y más de 100,000 participantes, revela que seguir ciertos patrones dietéticos puede aumentar significativamente las probabilidades de vivir hasta los 70 o 75 años con una buena salud cognitiva, física y mental, libre de enfermedades crónicas.En este video, exploramos las ocho dietas científicamente respaldadas que pueden ayudarte a prevenir enfermedades no transmisibles y optimizar el envejecimiento: Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), Alternative Mediterranean Index (aMED), Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index (hPDI), Reverse Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (rEDIH) y Reverse Empirically Inflammatory Dietary Pattern (rEDIP). También hablaremos del impacto negativo del consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados (UPF) en la longevidad.Según la investigación, una mayor adherencia a estas dietas puede aumentar hasta 2.24 veces la probabilidad de un envejecimiento saludable. Pero, ¿qué tienen en común estas dietas? Un alto consumo de frutas, verduras, cereales integrales, grasas saludables, frutos secos, legumbres y productos lácteos bajos en grasa, junto con una reducción de grasas trans, sodio, bebidas azucaradas y carnes procesadas.Si te interesa saber cómo adaptar estos patrones alimenticios a tu vida diaria y cómo mejorar tu salud a largo plazo con la alimentación basada en evidencia, este video es para ti. Descubre qué dieta se adapta mejor a tus necesidades y cómo pequeñas elecciones diarias pueden marcar la diferencia en tu bienestar futuro. No olvides suscribirte, activar las notificaciones y dejar tu comentario sobre cuál de estas dietas te gustaría probar.

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High blood pressure and cholesterol are commonly seen to signal increased risk of heart disease. To lower both, eating less animal fats, like butter, lard, and tallow, is often recommended. Many of us have the standard LDL, aka “bad” cholesterol or low density lipoproteins, level test done. However, this has shown to only be able to accurately predict heart disease risk around 40 percent of the time. So, is having a LDL cholesterol level on its own really so bad? What kind of test can give a more accurate, say 70 percent, prediction rate for heart disease? Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), a diet promoted by the HHS's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, suggests eating vegetable oils over animal fats to lower LDL cholesterol level. But which type of food may be much worse for our blood cholesterol and heart health? Join Brendon Fallon on #VitalSigns to probe a better way gauge heart-disease risk, whether the DASH diet works, and simple and effective ways to lower blood pressure. ⭕️ Watch in-depth videos based on Truth & Tradition at Epoch TV

This week on the Gaining Health podcast, we interview the Queen of Obesity Medicine herself, Dr. Donna Ryan! Dr. Ryan and Karli discuss how it was that Dr. Ryan became involved with many of the sentinel nutrition and obesity studies, how obesity management has progressed throughout the years, potential concerns with the newer antiobesity medications, and Dr. Ryan tackles some of the biggest questions about how to prevent the tsunami of obesity and obesity-related complications that will come our way unless we change course.Dr. Donna Ryan is professor emerita of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where, until retirement, she directed clinical research for 22 years. Her own research includes participation on the teams that developed and executed studies such as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS Lost), Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD). Dr. Ryan's continuing interests focus on the translation of effective weight management into primary care practices. She is the past president of The Obesity Society and has served as panel co-chair to revise the NIH-supported evidence-based Guidelines on the Evaluation and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Her scholarly activities include authorship of more than 200 original publications and 45 books, chapters and reviews, primarily in the field of obesity.Support the showThe Gaining Health Podcast will release a new episode monthly, every second Wednesday of the month. Episodes including interviews with obesity experts as well as scientific updates and new guidelines for the management of obesity.If you're a clinician or organization looking to start or optimize an obesity management program, and you want additional support and resources, check out the Gaining Health website! We offer monthly and annual Memberships, which include live group coaching, a community forum to ask questions and post resources, pre-recorded Master Classes, digital resources inlcuding patient education materials and office forms, and much more! We also sell our popular Gaining Health products, including a book on developing an obesity management program, editable forms and templates, and patient education materials in our Gaining Health Shop! If you are loving this podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon

What's the DASH diet and why is it important? As promised I am exploring the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet in this episode as I have received a number of inquiries about it. So in this episode, I share The reason why this diet was researched. The key nutrients that prevent and promote high blood pressure. The foods that are recommended. The DASH diet is backed by scientific research and can lower blood pressure within two weeks. And it certainly ranks well in the Best Diet List for 2023. However, there is no evidence of how long people stick to it, so if following diet rules is a barrier for you, then this is not the long-term answer for your heart health or weight. You may read my blog post about the DASH diet here: https://eatingforyou.com.au/dietary-approaches-to-stop-hypertension-dash-diet/ Like the nutritional quality of your eating pattern assessed? Then join me on a tele-health call. https://booknow.eatingforyou.com.au/p/45-min-tele-health-booking/ If sustaining a healthier way of eating is your ongoing struggle, then I recommend a free 45-minute Foundations Mindful Eating Call - https://booknow.eatingforyou.com.au/p/foundations-mindful-eating-call/

VIDEOS: AI robot terrifies officials, explains our illusion, with Elon Musk. (16:17) Peterson Tells Millennials Why They CAN'T Change The World.. (8:03) “WATCH OUT! It started…” – Peter Schiff's Last WARNING (10:07) So THIS is how they plan to screw these companies, from inside out | Redacted with Clayton Morris (2:48) Higher vitamin K intake linked to lower bone fracture risk late in life Edith Cowan University (Australia), November 28,. 2022 Breaking bones can be life changing events—especially as we age, when hip fractures can become particularly damaging and result in disability, compromised independence and a higher mortality risk. But research from Edith Cowan University's Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute has revealed there may be something you can do to help reduce your risk of fractures later in life. In collaboration with the University of Western Australia, the study looked at the relationship between fracture-related hospitalizations and vitamin K1 intake in almost 1,400 older Australian women over a 14.5-year period from the Perth Longitudinal Study of Aging Women. It found women who ate more than 100 micrograms of vitamin K1 consumption—equivalent to about 125g of dark leafy vegetables, or one-to-two serves of vegetables—were 31% less likely to have any fracture compared to participants who consumed less than 60 micrograms per day, which is the current vitamin K adequate intake guideline in Australia for women. There were even more positive results regarding hip fractures, with those who ate the most vitamin K1 cutting their risk of hospitalization almost in half (49%). “Basic studies of vitamin K1 have identified a critical role in the carboxylation of the vitamin K1-dependant bone proteins such as osteocalcin, which is believed to improve bone toughness.”A previous ECU trial indicates dietary vitamin K1 intakes of less than 100 micrograms per day may be too low for this carboxylation. “Vitamin K1 may also promote bone health by inhibiting various bone resorbing agents.”Dr. Sim said eating more than 100 micrograms of vitamin K1 daily was ideal—and, happily, it isn't too difficult to do.”Consuming this much daily vitamin K1 can easily be achieved by consuming between 75–150g, equivalent to one to two serves, of vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli and cabbage,” he said. (next) Quercetin found to offer natural protection against influenza virus Southern Medical Institute (Guangdong China) November 23, 2022 With the flu season upon us, and it looks like they may have a powerful new ally in quercetin, a potent flavonoid and phytonutrient found in many healthy foods and online. New research reveals: A group of Chinese scientists released a study showing that quercetin can actually block the flu virus from entering cells – which the virus needs to do in order to live and replicate. The team conducted the study by adding quercetin to cells prior to infecting them with influenza, and found that the quercetin-treated cells had significantly lower rates of infection than the cells that had not been treated – an obvious inhibitory effect. Quercetin was found to be effective against Influenza A, as well as its subtypes H1N1 and H3N1. It was also found to work against H5N1, or avian flu – a particularly dangerous subtype with a 60 percent mortality rate. Researchers characterized quercetin as having the potential to be a safe, effective and affordable treatment for Influenza The team noted that quercetin blocked the H protein and, along with it, virus entry. This finding showed that quercetin was effective when added during the process of virus infection, rather than post-virus infection. In other words, quercetin stopped the influenza virus in its tracks, near the beginning of the infection process – which consists of attachment, entry, replication and release. Also encouraging is the fact that viruses are not able to develop resistance to quercetin. In fact, when quercetin was used with anti-viral drugs, it prevented the development of resistance that otherwise would occur. This is an immense benefit, as for years scientists have been concerned about viruses' ability to mutate and become resistant to antiviral drugs. (next) Vitamin B12 Deficiency A Common Health Problem That Can Have Serious Consequences – But Doctors Often Overlook It Wayne State University, November 28, 2022 B12 deficiency is a common health problem that affects an estimated 6% to 20% of the U.S. population. B12 is scarce in the diet, and it is found only in foods from animal sources. Fortunately, humans need only 2.4 micrograms of B12 daily, which is equivalent to one ten-millionth of an ounce – a very, very small amount. Without adequate B12 in the body, overall health and quality of life are negatively affected. Signs and symptoms One primary symptom of B12 deficiency is fatigue – a level of tiredness or exhaustion so deep that it affects daily life activities. Other symptoms are neurological and may include tingling in the extremities, confusion, memory loss, depression and difficulty maintaining balance. Some of these can be permanent if the vitamin deficiency is not addressed. However, since there can be so many causes for these symptoms, health care providers may overlook the possibility of a B12 deficiency and fail to screen for it. Further, having a healthy diet may seem to rule out any vitamin deficiency. B12 absorption is a complex multistep process that begins in the mouth and ends at the far end of the small intestine. When we chew, our food gets mixed with saliva. When the food is swallowed, a substance in saliva called R-protein – a protein that protects B12 from being destroyed by stomach acid – travels to the stomach along with the food. Specific cells in the stomach lining, called parietal cells, secrete two substances that are important to B12 absorption. One is stomach acid – it splits food and B12 apart, allowing the vitamin to bind to the saliva's R-protein. Treatment for B12 deficiency can be oral, applied under the tongue or administered through the nose, or it may require various types of injections. A B12 supplement or balanced multivitamin may be enough to correct the deficiency, as it was for Scout, but it's best to work with a health care provider to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.The Conversation (NEXT) The real benefits of walking in a winter wonderland Medical University of Silesia (Poland) & Anglia Ruskin University (UK), November 29, 2022 Research has shown for the first time that spending time in snowy surroundings can improve how you feel about your body. Previous studies have found that green spaces, such as parks and forests, and “blue environments,” such as being at the coast or close to a river, can improve body image. Now new research, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, has discovered that white spaces, in this case a snow-covered woodland, can have a similar effect. Led by academics from the Medical University of Silesia, in Katowice, Poland, and Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the U.K., the research was carried out last winter and involved 87 women, with an average age of 24, who took part in small groups. Before and after walking in a snowy woodland in the Silesia region of Poland, the participants completed a measure of their body appreciation. Before the walk, they also completed measures of connectedness to nature and self-compassion. The study found that spending a short amount of time in nature—in this case approximately 40 minutes—results in greater body appreciation. Additionally, people who scored highly in the trait of self-compassion displayed greater improvement in body appreciation. Senior author Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said, “Natural environments help to restrict negative appearance-related thoughts and shift attention away from an aesthetic view of the body and toward greater appreciation of the body's functionality. Positive body image is important not only in its own right, but has other beneficial effects, including more positive psychological well-being. “Our findings demonstrate the importance of ensuring that everyone can access restorative natural environments, which may be a cost-effective way of promoting healthier body image, and highlight that there are significant benefits of being outside in nature, whatever the weather.” (NEXT) Diet can lower risk of cardiovascular disease by 10 percent, study shows Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, November 29, 2022 In a new study, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) compared the effects of three eating patterns on patients' risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event within in the next ten years—the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and the Western diet that is typically low in fruits and vegetables while high in fat and sodium. The team's findings suggest that while the DASH and fruit/vegetable diet each reduced risk scores by about 10 percent over an eight-week period, the DASH diet conferred additional benefits for women and Black adults compared to Western diet. The results are published in the American Journal of Cardiology. “Our study suggests that the benefits associated with these diets may vary by sex and race. While a diet rich in fruits and vegetables produced reductions in risk for woman and Black participants, the effect with the DASH diet was twice as large in women and four times as large in Black adults.” To determine the effect of the different diets on an individual's risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Juraschek and colleagues acquired data from 459 adults aged 22 to 75 who participated in the original DASH trial between 1994 and 1996. Participants—who were roughly half women and half Black—were randomized to one of three diets for eight weeks. The control diet was high in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. The fruit and vegetable diet provided more produce, but did not otherwise significantly differ from the control diet. The DASH diet also provided more fruit and vegetables, but emphasized more whole grains, lean proteins, nuts and low-fat dairy while reducing fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sugar. When Juraschek and colleagues compared the data, they found that both the DASH diet and the fruit and vegetable diet had lowered participants' 10-year risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by about 10 percent overall. However, the effect was not consistent across demographics. The DASH diet reduced the 10-year risk score among women by nearly 13 percent, compared to just over six percent among men. Moreover, DASH reduced the 10-year risk score by nearly 14 percent among Black adults, versus just 3 percent among non-Black adults. (NEXT) Researchers explain how lipids can control immune response King's College London, November 23, 2022 When we consume fats (also called lipids) in our diet, they can be metabolized or stored to provide energy for the body. But they are also involved in regulating the genes expressed within—and the signaling between—cells. Lipids influence how our cells behave and function, which affects many processes in the body including the immune system. Though researchers are now aware that lipids help regulate immune cell behavior, there is little understanding of how specific mechanisms and lipid molecules are involved. To address this gap in our knowledge, researchers from the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences at King's College London looked at how lipids affect the immune system. The paper, recently published in Nature Communications, investigated the role of lipids in controlling macrophages. These are cells of the innate immune system that patrol the body to ingest and destroy microbes, toxic chemicals, and dead/cancerous cells in a process called phagocytosis. They can also help coordinate a wider immune response by sending signals to other immune cells. The researchers, led by Phillip Brailey and Lauren Evans under the supervision of Patricia Barral, identified a direct link between macrophages and a lipid molecular pathway. Lipid pathways trigger a chemical signal in the macrophage that influences its activation and behavior, making it more responsive to signals from the immune system. When researchers modified the lipid pathway in macrophages, they also found that the changes affected its behavior. Specifically, the changes made macrophages less responsive to immune signals, affecting the overall immune response. This shows how immune cells can be influenced by modifications to the lipid-dependent pathway. As well as identifying a new molecular mechanism in the immune system, the data highlights a potential new avenue for therapy. As targeting this lipid pathway changes the behavior of macrophages, this could form the basis of therapies in a wide range of diseases, including autoimmune diseases, cancers, infections, and sepsis.”Our paper identifies novel mechanisms underpinning the activation of immune cells, by providing a direct link between lipid pathways and immune cell activation. Our data suggest that manipulation of lipid pathways could represent a therapeutic target to improve immune responses in a variety of diseases,” noted Dr. Patricia Barral, Reader in the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences.

This episode is dedicated to clarification of a podcast between Joe Rogan and Max Lugavere, two popular influencers that have a large audience. They discussed Alzheimer's disease and brain health in general and some of the information that was shared was not accurate, which can be really harmful. This is by no means an attack on Rogan or Lugavere. After listening to the conversation, we think Lugavere may not be quite familiar with the data regarding brain health, and it would be important to set the record straight and share the evidence with people and let them decide what's best for them. Having seen thousands of patients with dementia, whether it's Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobe dementia, Lewy Body Dementia and others, we feel it's our responsibility to share evidence based data as opposed to feel-good, self confirming anecdotes. Relevant references: Ketogenic Diet: Phillips, M. C et al. (2021). Randomized crossover trial of a modified ketogenic diet in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's research & therapy, 13(1), 1-12. Lilamand, M et al. (2022). Efficacy and Safety of Ketone Supplementation or Ketogenic Diets for Alzheimer's Disease: A Mini Review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 1324. Włodarek, D. (2021). Food for thought: the emerging role of a ketogenic diet in Alzheimer's disease management. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 21(7), 727-730. Cronjé, H et al. (2021). Ketogenic therapies in mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Current Opinion in Lipidology, 32(5), 330-332. LDL Cholesterol metabolism and risk of Alzheimer's: Andrews, S et al., collaborators of the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium. (2021). Causal associations between modifiable risk factors and the Alzheimer's phenome. Annals of neurology, 89(1), 54-65. Olmastroni, E et al. (2022). Statin use and risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 29(5), 804-814. Iwagami, M et al. (2021). Blood cholesterol and risk of dementia in more than 1· 8 million people over two decades: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 2(8), e498-e506. Tan, Z. S et al. (2003). Plasma total cholesterol level as a risk factor for Alzheimer disease: the Framingham Study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 163(9), 1053-1057. Kivipelto, M et al. (2002). Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele, elevated midlife total cholesterol level, and high midlife systolic blood pressure are independent risk factors for late-life Alzheimer disease. Annals of internal medicine, 137(3), 149-155. Zhou, Z et al. (2020). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 12, 5. Sáiz-Vazquez, O et al. (2020). Cholesterol and Alzheimer's disease risk: a meta-meta-analysis. Brain sciences, 10(6), 386. Wingo, A. P et al. (2022). LDL cholesterol is associated with higher AD neuropathology burden independent of APOE. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 93(9), 930-938. The Nigerian Paradox Study: Hall, K et al. (2006). Cholesterol, APOE genotype, and Alzheimer disease: an epidemiologic study of Nigerian Yoruba. Neurology, 66(2), 223-227. Vascular health and Alzheimer's disease: Levit, A et al. (2020). Neurovascular unit dysregulation, white matter disease, and executive dysfunction: the shared triad of vascular cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease. Geroscience, 42(2), 445-465. The Effect of Lifestyle on Alzheimer's Risk: Dhana, K et al. (2020). Healthy lifestyle and the risk of Alzheimer dementia: Findings from 2 longitudinal studies. Neurology, 95(4), e374-e383.  Risk Reduction of Cognitive Decline and Dementia: WHO Guidelines. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2019.  https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/312180/9789241550543-eng.pdf. Accessed December 4, 2019. MIND Diet: Morris, M. C et al. (2015). MIND diet associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 11(9), 1007-1014. Morris, M. C et al. (2015). MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging. Alzheimer's & dementia, 11(9), 1015-1022. van den Brink, A. C et al. (2019). The Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diets are associated with less cognitive decline and a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease—a review. Advances in Nutrition, 10(6), 1040-1065. Kheirouri, S., & Alizadeh, M. (2021). MIND diet and cognitive performance in older adults: a systematic review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 1-19. Hosking, D. E et al. (2019). MIND not Mediterranean diet related to 12-year incidence of cognitive impairment in an Australian longitudinal cohort study. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 15(4), 581-589. Melo van Lent, D et al. (2021). Mind diet adherence and cognitive performance in the Framingham heart study. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 82(2), 827-839. Dhana, K et al. (2021). MIND diet, common brain pathologies, and cognition in community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 83(2), 683-692. Thomas, A et al. (2022). Association of a MIND Diet with Brain Structure and Dementia in a French Population. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, 1-10. Arjmand, G et al. (2022). Effect of MIND diet intervention on cognitive performance and brain structure in healthy obese women: a randomized controlled trial. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-14. Nutrition and Dementia Prevention: Yassine, H. N et al. (2022). Nutrition state of science and dementia prevention: recommendations of the Nutrition for Dementia Prevention Working Group. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 3(7), e501-e512. Scarmeas, N et al. (2018). Nutrition and prevention of cognitive impairment. The Lancet Neurology, 17(11), 1006-1015.   Publications by Lugavere's mentor, Dr. Richard Isaacson: Isaacson, R. S et al. (2019). Individualized clinical management of patients at risk for Alzheimer's dementia. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 15(12), 1588-1602. Amini, Y., Saif, N., Greer, C., Hristov, H., & Isaacson, R. (2020). The role of nutrition in individualized Alzheimer's risk reduction. Current nutrition reports, 9(2), 55-63.  Isaacson, R. S. (2019). Advances in early diagnosis and treatment strategies in the management of Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Managed Care Medicine, 22(4), 17-21. Berkowitz, C. L., Mosconi, L., Rahman, A., Scheyer, O., Hristov, H., & Isaacson, R. S. (2018). Clinical application of APOE in Alzheimer's prevention: a precision medicine approach. The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease, 5(4), 245-252. BOOK: The Alzheimer's Prevention & Treatment Diet: Using Nutrition to Combat the Effects of Alzheimer's Disease. Isaacson, R. S., & Ochner, C. N. (2016). Square One Publishers, Inc. Podcast episodes mentioned: The Proof with Simon Hill: The carnivore diet, veganism and nutrition misinformation | Dr Alan Flanagan.  The Proof with Simon Hill: Debate: Seed Oils And Heart Disease | Tucker Goodrich And Dr Matthew Nagra   Our publications relevant to this topic: Sherzai, A., Edland, S. D., Masliah, E., Hansen, L., Pizzo, D. P., Sherzai, A., & Corey-Bloom, J. (2013). Spongiform change in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 27(2), 157-161. Whitehair, D. C., Sherzai, A., Emond, J., Raman, R., Aisen, P. S., Petersen, R. C., & Fleisher, A. S. (2010). Influence of apolipoprotein E ɛ4 on rates of cognitive and functional decline in mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 6(5), 412-419. Lazar, E., Sherzai, A., Adeghate, J., & Sherzai, D. (2021). Gut dysbiosis, insulin resistance and Alzheimer's disease: review of a novel approach to neurodegeneration. Frontiers in Bioscience-Scholar, 13(1), 17-29. Sherzai, D., & Sherzai, A. (2019). Preventing Alzheimer's: Our most urgent health care priority. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 13(5), 451-461. Sherzai, A. Z., Sherzai, A. N., & Sherzai, D. (2022). A Systematic Review of Omega-3 Consumption and Neuroprotective Cognitive Outcomes. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 15598276221117102. Sherzai, D., Sherzai, A., & Sherzai, A. (2022). Lifestyle Intervention and Alzheimer Disease. The Journal of Family Practice, 71(1 Suppl Lifestyle), eS83-eS89. Sherzai, D., Sherzai, A., Lui, K., Pan, D., Chiou, D., Bazargan, M., & Shaheen, M. (2016). The association between diabetes and dementia among elderly individuals: a nationwide inpatient sample analysis. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 29(3), 120-125. Sherzai, A., Sherzai, D., Pilot, M., & Ovbiagele, B. (2016). Prevalence of the Diagnoses of Alzheimer's Dementia, Non-Alzheimer's Dementia and Vascular Dementia Among Hospitalized Stroke Patients: A National Inpatient Sample Analysis, 1999-2012 (P1. 125).   Follow us on social media: Instagram: The Brain Docs @thebraindocs Facebook: The Brain Docs Website: TheBrainDocs.com

Strawberries could help reduce harmful inflammation in the colon University of Massachusetts, August 20, 202 Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a set of painful conditions that can cause severe diarrhea and fatigue. Treatments can include medications and surgery. But now researchers report that a simple dietary intervention could mitigate colonic inflammation and improve gut health. In this case, a strawberry—or rather, less than a cupful of strawberries—a day could help keep the doctor away. The dietary consumption of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a lowered risk of IBD. To establish an effective and practical approach to decrease colonic inflammation in both IBD patients and the general population, Xiao and his team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst focused on strawberries due to their wide consumption.  The researchers found that dietary consumption of whole strawberries at a dose equivalent to as low as three-quarters of a cup of strawberries per day in humans significantly suppressed symptoms like body weight loss and bloody diarrhea in mice with IBD. Strawberry treatments also diminished inflammatory responses in the mice's colonic tissue. But decreased inflammation wasn't the strawberry's only conferred benefit during this study.  Following the dietary treatments of whole strawberries, the researchers observed a reversal of that unhealthy microbiota composition in the IBD mice. Xiao's team also obtained experimental data that indicated strawberries might impact abnormal metabolic pathways in the IBD mice, which in turn could lead to the decreased colonic inflammation they observed. Higher diet quality relates to decelerated epigenetic aging  Tufts University, August 1, 2022 DNA methylation–based epigenetic age measures have been used as biological aging markers and are associated with a healthy lifespan. Few population-based studies have examined the relation between diet and epigenetic age acceleration. We aimed to investigate the relation between diet quality and epigenetic age acceleration. We analyzed data from 1995 participants (mean age, 67 years; 55% women) of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. Cross-sectional associations between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score and 3 whole-blood DNA methylation–derived epigenetic age acceleration measures—Dunedin Pace of Aging Methylation (DunedinPoAm), GrimAge acceleration (GrimAA), and PhenoAge acceleration (PhenoAA)—were examined. Conclusions:  Higher diet quality is associated with slower epigenetic age acceleration, which partially explains the beneficial effect of diet quality on the lifespan. Our findings emphasize that adopting a healthy diet is crucial for maintaining healthy aging. Feeling anxious or blue? Ultra-processed foods may be to blame Florida Atlantic University, August 25, 2022 Do you love those sugary-sweet beverages, reconstituted meat products and packaged snacks? You may want to reconsider based on a new study that explored whether individuals who consume higher amounts of ultra-processed food have more adverse mental health symptoms. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine and collaborators explored a nationally representative sample of the United States population to determine if individuals who consume high amounts of ultra-processed foods report significantly more adverse mental health symptoms including depression, anxiety and mentally unhealthy days.  They measured mild depression, number of mental unhealthy days and number of anxious days in 10,359 adults 18 and older from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results of the study, published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, showed that individuals who consumed the most ultra-processed foods as compared with those who consumed the least amount had statistically significant increases in the adverse mental health symptoms of mild depression, "mentally unhealthy days" and "anxious days." They also had significantly lower rates of reporting zero "mentally unhealthy days" and zero "anxious days." Findings from this study are generalizable to the entire U.S. as well as other Western countries with similar ultra-processed food intakes.   Many types of leisure time activities may lower risk of death for older adults National Cancer Institute, August 25, 2022 Older adults who participate weekly in many different types of leisure time activities, such as walking for exercise, jogging, swimming laps, or playing tennis, may have a lower risk of death from any cause, as well as death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a new study led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggest that it's important for older adults to engage in leisure time activities that they enjoy and can sustain, because many types of these activities may lower the risk of death, the authors wrote. Using data from 272,550 adults between the ages of 59 and 82 who had completed questionnaires about their leisure-time activities as part of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, the researchers looked at whether participating in equivalent amounts of seven different exercise and recreational activities—including running, cycling, swimming, other aerobic exercise, racquet sports, golf, and walking for exercise—was associated with lowered risk of death. The researchers found that achieving the recommended amount of physical activity per week through any combination of these activities was associated with a 13% lower risk of death from any cause compared with no participation in these activities. When they looked at the role of each activity individually, playing racquet sports was associated with a 16% reduction in risk and running with a 15% reduction. However, all the activities investigated were similarly associated with lower risks of death. The levels of activity by the most active individuals (those who exceeded the recommended levels of physical activity) were associated with even greater reductions in the risk of death, but there were diminishing returns as activity levels increased. Even people who did some recreational activity, though less than the recommended amount, had a 5% reduction in risk of death than those who did not participate in any of the activities studied. These activities were also associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Playing racquet sports was associated with the greatest reduction in risk of cardiovascular deaths (27% reduction), while running was associated with the greatest reduction in risk of cancer deaths (19% reduction).   Avocado may resist the effects of leukemia University of Waterloo (Canada), August 19, 2022 One of the many health benefits avocados offer is their ability to ward off cancer. Avocados contain avocatin B, which is a compound found to fight against a type of leukemia called acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a study carried out by a researcher from the University of Waterloo, Canada. AML is known by many names, like acute myelocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia, and acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. AML is a type of blood cancer that is most common in older people. Approximately 90 percent of people with this type of cancer die within five years of diagnosis. In the in vitro study, Canadian researcher Paul Spagnuolo found that avocatin B fights AML by targeting leukemia stem cells – which are the root of the disease – without harming healthy, non-cancerous cells. This indicated that the compound is both effective against AML and not toxic to the body. Avocados can also fight against prostate and oral cancer cells. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles conducted a review of studies on the potential health benefits of avocados and looked at evidence that specific avocado extracts can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells and oral cancer cells. They found that the active compounds in avocados make them potentially beneficial for preventing cancer.   News addiction is linked to not only poor mental well-being but physical health too, new study Texas Tech University, August 25, 2022 People with an obsessive urge to constantly check the news are more likely to suffer from stress, anxiety, and physical ill health, finds a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Health Communication. For many people, reading bad news can make us feel temporarily powerless and distressed. For others, being exposed to a 24-hour news cycle of continually evolving events can have serious impacts on mental and physical well-being—as these new findings, out today, show, with those who have a high-levels of news addiction reporting "significantly greater physical ill-being." "Witnessing these events unfold in the news can bring about a constant state of high alert in some people, kicking their surveillance motives into overdrive and making the world seem like a dark and dangerous place," says Bryan McLaughlin, associate professor of advertising at the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University. "For these individuals, a vicious cycle can develop, in which rather than tuning out, they become drawn further in, obsessing over the news and checking for updates around the clock to alleviate their emotional distress. But it doesn't help, and the more they check the news, the more it begins to interfere with other aspects of their lives." To study this phenomenon, McLaughlin and his colleagues,  analyzed data from an online survey of 1,100 US adults. The results revealed that 16.5% of people surveyed showed signs of "severely problematic" news consumption. Such individuals frequently became so immersed and personally invested in news stories that the stories dominated the individual's waking thoughts, disrupted time with family and friends, made it difficult to focus on school or work, and contributed to restlessness and an inability to sleep. 73.6% of those recognized to have severe levels of problematic news consumption reported experiencing mental ill-being "quite a bit" or "very much"—while frequent symptoms were only reported by 8% of all other study participants. 61% of those with severe levels of problematic news reported experiencing physical ill-being "quite a bit" or "very much" compared to only 6.1% for all other study participants. According to McLaughlin, the findings show that there is a need for focused media literacy campaigns to help people develop a healthier relationship with the news.

Lycopene is a promising nutrient that can prevent gastric diseases associated with H. pylori Yonsei University (Japan), April 30, 2021 Helicobacter pylori is a spiral-shaped bacterium that grows in your digestive tract. An opportunistic pathogen, it is considered to be the most successful colonizer of the human gastrointestinal tract, infecting the stomachs of roughly 60 percent of the world’s adult population. In a recent study, researchers at Yonsei University in South Korea found that lycopene, a bioactive pigment with powerful antioxidant properties, can help prevent gastric diseases associated with H. pylori infection. Lycopene is a non-provitamin A carotenoid commonly found in bright red and orange produce, such as tomatoes, watermelons, papaya and pink grapefruit. This beneficial compound is extensively studied for its remarkable ability to scavenge free radicals, the unstable byproducts of cellular metabolism responsible for causing oxidative stress. How lycopene prevents H. pylori-induced gastric cancer According to studies, H. pylori infection promotes the hyperproliferation of gastric epithelial cells — the very cells that make up the stomach lining — by increasing the production of free radicals called reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS then activates two signaling pathways — Wnt/B-catenin and JAK1/Stat3 — that influence cell fate decisions. While Wnt/B-catenin signaling is involved in the regulation of the self-renewal processes of cells, JAK1/Stat3 signaling is said to play a role in conferring malignant properties to cancer cells. Due to the involvement of ROS, the South Korean researchers hypothesized that lycopene, which has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, may be able to suppress H. pylori-induced hyperproliferation by inhibiting the activation of Jak1/Stat3 and Wnt/B-catenin signaling, as well as the expression of B-catenin target genes. B-catenin is a protein that accumulates due to the aberrant activation of Wnt/B-catenin signaling. The buildup of this protein promotes the expression of cancer genes (oncogenes) and the progression of tumors. In an earlier study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, German researchers reported that lycopene is the most effective scavenger of singlet oxygen, a very strong oxidant and one of the major ROS produced by cells. To determine if it can prevent ROS-mediated hyperproliferation, South Korean researchers treated H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells with lycopene.  They measured the cells’ ROS levels and viability before and after treatment. The researchers found that lycopene effectively reduced ROS levels and inhibited not only the activation of Jak1/Stat3 and Wnt/B-catenin signaling but also the expression of B-catenin target oncogenes and the proliferation of H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells. In addition, lycopene inhibited the increase in Wnt-1 (an oncogenic protein) and lipoprotein-related protein 5 (a protein involved in cancer progression) expression caused by H. pylori infection. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that lycopene can be used to prevent H. pylori-associated gastric cancer, thanks to its inhibitory effects on gastric cell hyperproliferation.   Too much salt suppresses phagocytes Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (Germany), May 4, 2021 For many of us, adding salt to a meal is a perfectly normal thing to do. We don't really think about it. But actually, we should. As well as raising our blood pressure, too much salt can severely disrupt the energy balance in immune cells and stop them from working properly. Back in 2015, the research group led by Professor Dominik Müller of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) and the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) found that elevated sodium concentrations in the blood affect both the activation and the function of patrolling monocytes, which are the precursors to macrophages. "But we didn't know exactly what was happening in the cells," says Dr. Sabrina Geisberger of the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) at the MDC. She is lead author of the study of an international research team led by MDC scientists together with colleagues from University of Regensburg and from Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) /Hasselt University in Belgium. It was funded by the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) and has now been published in the journal Circulation.  Salt disrupts the respiratory chain in cells Working with biochemist and metabolomics expert Dr. Stefan Kempa of BIMSB, the researchers began in the lab by looking at the metabolism of immune cells that had been exposed to high salt concentrations. Changes appeared after just three hours. "It disrupts the respiratory chain, causing the cells to produce less ATP and consume less oxygen," explains Geisberger. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the universal fuel that powers all cells. It provides energy for the "chemical work" - synthesizing proteins and other molecules - required for muscle power and metabolic regulation. ATP is produced in the mitochondria, the cell's "power plant," using a complex series of biochemical reactions known as the respiratory chain. "Salt very specifically inhibits complex II in the respiratory chain." This has consequences: The lack of energy causes the monocytes to mature differently. "The phagocytes, whose task is to identify and eliminate pathogens in the body, were able to fight off infections more effectively. But this could also promote inflammation, which might increase cardiovascular risk," explains Müller.  Effects of salt are reversible Professor Markus Kleinewietfeld of Hasselt University and VIB, and Professor Jonathan Jantsch of Universität Regensburg, were heavily involved in the work investigating human monocytes and macrophages. They were able to show that salt affects the functioning of human phagocytes in the same way. Researchers at the ECRC, which is run jointly by the MDC and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, then conducted a study in which healthy male participants supplemented their usual diets with six grams of salt in tablet form every day for 14 days. In another clinical study, the researchers investigated a familiar scenario: eating a pizza delivered by an Italian restaurant. They then analyzed the monocytes in the participants' blood. The findings showed that the dampening effect on mitochondria doesn't just occur after an extended period of increased salt intake - it also happens after a single pizza. Data from the pizza experiment showed how long the effect lasted: Blood was taken from the participants after three and eight hours, and the effect was barely measurable in the second sample. "That's a good thing. If it had been a prolonged disturbance, we'd be worried about the cells not getting enough energy for a long time," says Müller. The mitochondrial activity is therefore not permanently inhibited. That said, the continuous risk of sodium on mitochondrial function if a person eats very salty food several times a day cannot be ruled out, but needs to be tested in the future. The pizza, incidentally, contained ten grams of salt. Nutrition experts recommend that adults limit their daily intake to five or six grams at most. The calculation includes the salt that is hidden in processed foods. Small ion, big effect "The fundamental finding of our study is that a molecule as small as the sodium ion can be extremely efficient at inhibiting an enzyme that plays a crucial role in the respiratory chain," says Kempa. "When these ions flood into the mitochondria - and they do this under a variety of physiological conditions - they regulate the central part of the electron transport chain." It therefore appears to be a very fundamental regulatory mechanism in cells. Now the task is to investigate whether salt can also influence this mechanism in other types of cells. Kleinewietfeld believes that this is extremely likely because mitochondria aren't just present in immune cells; with the exception of red blood cells, they exist in every cell of the body. They can be found in particularly high numbers wherever a lot of energy is consumed - in muscle cells, neurons, receptors, and egg cells.  It is still not fully elucidated how different cell types regulate the influx of sodium into the mitochondria. Nevertheless, the study confirms that consuming too much salt can be bad for our health. "Of course the first thing you think of is the cardiovascular risk. But multiple studies have shown that salt can affect immune cells in a variety of ways. If such an important cellular mechanism is disrupted for a long period, it could have a negative impact - and could potentially drive inflammatory diseases of the blood vessels or joints, or autoimmune diseases," says Kleinewietfeld.     Ginkgo biloba extract improves cognitive function and increases neurogenesis by reducing amyloid beta pathology  Xuzhou Medical University (China), May 1, 2021 According to news reporting from Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China, research stated, “Previous studies have indicated that the generation of newborn hippocampal neurons is impaired in the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A potential therapeutic strategy being pursued for the treatment of AD is increasing the number of newborn neurons in the adult hippocampus.” The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Xuzhou Medical University, “Recent studies have demonstrated that ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) plays a neuroprotective role by preventing memory loss in many neurodegenerative diseases. However, the extent of EGb 761’s protective role in the AD process is unclear. In this study, different doses of EGb 761 (0, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg; intraperitoneal injections once every day for four months) were tested on 5xFAD mice. After consecutive 4-month injections, mice were tested in learning memory tasks, A beta, and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampus and morphological characteristics of neurons in DG of hippocampus. Results indicated that EGb 761 (20 and 30 mg/kg) ameliorated memory deficits. Further analysis indicated that EGb 761 can reduce the number of A beta positive signals in 5xFAD mice, increase the number of newborn neurons, and increase dendritic branching and density of dendritic spines in 5xFAD mice compared to nontreated 5xFAD mice.” According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “It was concluded that EGb 761 plays a protective role in the memory deficit of 5xFAD mice.” This research has been peer-reviewed.     Fasting lowers blood pressure by reshaping the gut microbiota Baylor College of Medicine, April 30 2021 Nearly half of adults in the United States have hypertension, a condition that raises the risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the U. S. At Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. David J. Durgan and his colleagues are dedicated to better understand hypertension, in particular the emerging evidence suggesting that disruption of the gut microbiota, known as gut dysbiosis, can have adverse effects on blood pressure. "Previous studies from our lab have shown that the composition of the gut microbiota in animal models of hypertension, such as the SHRSP (spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rat) model, is different from that in animals with normal blood pressure," said Durgan, assistant professor of anesthesiology at Baylor. The researchers also have shown that transplanting dysbiotic gut microbiota from a hypertensive animal into a normotensive (having a healthy blood pressure) one results in the recipient developing high blood pressure. "This result told us that gut dysbiosis is not just a consequence of hypertension, but is actually involved in causing it," Durgan said. "This ground work led to the current study in which we proposed to answer two questions. First, can we manipulate the dysbiotic microbiota to either prevent or relieve hypertension? Second, how are the gut microbes influencing the animal's blood pressure?" Can manipulating the gut microbiota regulate blood pressure? To answer the first question, Durgan and his colleagues drew on previous research showing that fasting was both one of the major drivers of the composition of the gut microbiota and a promoter of beneficial cardiovascular effects. These studies, however, had not provided evidence connecting the microbiota and blood pressure. Working with the SHRSP model of spontaneous hypertension and normal rats, the researchers set up two groups. One group had SHRSP and normal rats that were fed every other day, while the other group, called control, had SHRSP and normal rats with unrestricted food availability. Nine weeks after the experiment began, the researchers observed that, as expected, the rats in the SHRSP control had higher blood pressure when compared to the normal control rats. Interestingly, in the group that fasted every other day, the SHRSP rats had significantly reduced blood pressure when compared with the SHRSP rats that had not fasted. "Next, we investigated whether the microbiota was involved in the reduction of blood pressure we observed in the SHRSP rats that had fasted," Durgan said. The researchers transplanted the microbiota of the rats that had either fasted or fed without restrictions into germ-free rats, which have no microbiota of their own. Durgan and his colleagues were excited to see that the germ-free rats that received the microbiota of normally fed SHRSP rats had higher blood pressure than the germ-free rats receiving microbiota from normal control rats, just like their corresponding microbiota donors. "It was particularly interesting to see that the germ-free rats that received microbiota from the fasting SHRSP rats had significantly lower the blood pressure than the rats that had received microbiota from SHRSP control rats," Durgan said. "These results demonstrated that the alterations to the microbiota induced by fasting were sufficient to mediate the blood pressure-lowering effect of intermitting fasting." How the microbiota regulates blood pressure The team proceeded to investigate the second question of their project. How does the gut microbiota regulate blood pressure? "We applied whole genome shotgun sequence analysis of the microbiota as well as untargeted metabolomics analysis of plasma and gastrointestinal luminal content. Among the changes we observed, alterations in products of bile acid metabolism stood out as potential mediators of blood pressure regulation," Durgan said. The team discovered that the SHRSP hypertensive animals that were fed normally had lower bile acids in circulation than normotensive animals. On the other hand, SHRSP animals that followed an intermittent feeding schedule had more bile acids in the circulation. "Supporting this finding, we found that supplementing animals with cholic acid, a primary bile acid, also significantly reduced blood pressure in the SHRSP model of hypertension," Durgan said. Taken together, the study shows for the first time that intermittent fasting can be beneficial in terms of reducing hypertension by reshaping the composition of gut microbiota in an animal model. The work also provides evidence that gut dysbiosis contributes to hypertension by altering bile acid signaling. "This study is important to understand that fasting can have its effects on the host through microbiota manipulation," Durgan said. "This is an attractive idea because it can potentially have clinical applications. Many of the bacteria in the gut microbiotaare involved in the production of compounds that have been shown to have beneficial effects as they make it into the circulation and contribute to the regulation of the host's physiology. Fasting schedules could one day help regulate the activity of gut microbial populations to naturally provide health benefits.   Study: Following healthy diets found to reduce the risk of acquired hearing loss by 30% Brigham and Women's Hospital, April 30, 2021 A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that following a healthy diet may help ward off acquired hearing loss. A team led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers examined middle-aged women and found that the odds of developing hearing loss is 30 percent lower in those who adhere to a healthy diet. Adherence to a healthy diet linked to lower risk of hearing loss Acquired hearing loss refers to the total or partial inability to hear sounds that develop after birth. It occurs for various reasons, including ear infection, meningitis, measles, head injury, exposure to loud noise and aging. Past studies linked higher intake of certain nutrients such as beta-carotene (found in carrots, legumes and other foods) and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish) to a lower risk of self-reported hearing loss. The researchers wished to learn more about this connection by tracking people’s diets and measuring changes in their hearing sensitivity over a long period of time. To do so, the researchers studied 20 years of dietary intake information from over 3,000 women with a median age of 59 who were included in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Using this information, they examined how closely the women’s long-term diets resembled the Alternate Mediterranean diet (AMED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH diet) and Alternate Healthy Index-2010 (AHEI-2010).  AMED is a version of the Mediterranean diet adapted to reflect eating patterns that are linked to a lower risk of chronic disease, while the DASH diet is intended to control and prevent high blood pressure. On the other hand, AHEI-2010 is based on the 2010 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans and shares similar components with AMED and the DASH diet. Past studies linked adherence to these diets to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension and premature death. To measure the participants’ hearing sensitivity over the course of three years, the team put up 19 testing sites across the country and trained audiologists to measure changes in the participants’ pure-tone hearing thresholds – the lowest and highest pitch (frequency of a sound) that a person can detect in one ear. The researchers found that the odds of hearing loss in the mid-frequencies were nearly 30 percent lower in the women whose dietary patterns resembled the three diets, compared to those whose diets least resembled them. Meanwhile, the odds of hearing loss in higher frequencies were up to 25 percent lower. The frequencies encompassed in these associations, according to the researchers, are critical for speech understanding. “We were surprised that so many women demonstrated hearing decline over such a relatively short period of time,” said Sharon Curhan, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the lead researcher of the study. After only three years, nineteen percent of the participants had low-frequency hearing loss, 38 percent had mid-frequency hearing loss, while nearly half had high-frequency hearing loss. (Related: Age-related hearing loss halted with folate nutrient.) “The mean age of the women in our study was 59 years; most of our participants were in their 50s and early 60s. This is a younger age than when many people think about having their hearing checked,” she added. The researchers plan to continue tracking the participants with repeated hearing tests and are currently investigating ways to collect high-quality information for future studies across diverse populations.   Thai ginseng found to improve erectile function in men Life Extension Foundation, April 28, 2021 American researchers examined the effects of an ethanol extract derived from Kaempferia parviflora, also known as Thai ginseng, on erectile function in healthy middle-aged and older men. Their findings were published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine. Sexual health positively correlates with overall well-being. Current strategies that are meant to enhance male sexual health are limited by many factors, such as responsiveness, adherence and adverse effects. Researchers understand the need for safe and effective interventions that could help preserve male sexual function. K. parviflora, a plant from the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family, has been found to support cardiovascular health and has shown signs that it could ameliorate erectile dysfunction. To investigate this, the researchers conducted an open-label, one-arm study involving 14 generally healthy males aged 50 to 68 years with self-reported mild erectile dysfunction. The participants received 100 mg of an extract obtained from the rhizome of K. parviflora daily for 30 days. Primary efficacy analyses included the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), while secondary efficacy analyses included the Global Assessment Question about erectile function. The researchers reported that 13 of the 14 participants completed the study. Supplementation of the K. parviflora ethanol extract induced statistically significant improvements in erectile function, intercourse satisfaction and total scores on IIEF questionnaire. The extract was well-tolerated by the participants and exhibited an excellent safety profile. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that K. parviflora can improve erectile function in healthy middle-aged and older men.     Curcumin Reduces Anxiety and Depression Even In People With Major Depression Texas Christian University and University of Arkansas, May 1, 2021   Dietary supplements formulated with highly bioavailable curcumin may allow for faster recovery after competition-level training, and blunt training-related decreases in performance , says new data presented at Experimental Biology.   Powdered turmeric has been used for centuries to treat a host of illnesses. It inhibits inflammatory reactions, has anti-diabetic effects, reduces cholesterol among other powerful healtheffects. A recent study led by a research team in Munich showed that it can also inhibit formation of metastases.  Dietary supplements formulated with highly bioavailable curcumin may allow for faster recovery after competition-level training, and blunt training-related decreases in performance , says new data presented at Experimental Biology. Using OmniActive's supplement ingredient, scientists reported that supplementation for eight weeks resulted in significant reductions in levels of creatine kinase, a marker of muscle damage, while self-reported pain scores were also significantly lower 24 hours post-exercise. A daily 200 mg dose of curcuminoids (in the form of 1,000 mg supplement) was also associated with a decrease in performance declines observed during "These data suggest that high dose bioavailable curcumin (200 mg curcuminoids) attenuates performance decrements following downhill running, eccentric loading, which may improve subsequent adaptations to chronic training," wrote the researchers in the FASEB Journal . Dr Ralf Jager from Wisconsin-based Increnovo and co-author on the study reports, explained that curcumin's sports nutrition benefits were linked to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Muscle Damage Study The researchers recruited 59 moderately trained men and 29 women with an average age of 21 to participate in their double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled parallel design study. The participants were randomly assigned to receive 250 mg or 1,000 mg of supplement or placebo per day for eight weeks. The data indicated that, following muscle-damaging exercise, the high dose curcumin group experienced significantly lower pain scores, while increases in creatine kinase (CK) levels were also significantly reduced compared to placebo, when the baseline CK value is held constant at the mean. "These data demonstrate curcuminoids reduce muscle damage and improve muscle soreness in healthy young subjects following a bout of muscle damaging exercise. Faster recovery allows for consistent training at competition intensity and might lead to enhanced adaptation rate and performance," they wrote in the FASEB Journal . Performance A separate analysis was done with 62 men and women randomly assigned to 250 mg or 1,000 mg of supplement per day or placebo. After eight weeks the subjects performced downhill running, which promotes muscle damage. The results showed that performance declined significantly in both the placebo and low-dose curcumin group, but such declined were attenuated in the high-dose curcumin group. "Further study is warranted in other exercise types (i.e. resistance training) and chronically," wrote the researchers.

¡Gracias por escuchar! Una pregunta importante para los pacientes y médicos es si, y en qué medida, las intervenciones dietéticas, los suplementos dietéticos o la pérdida de peso pueden ayudar a prevenir la gota incidente o controlar la gota existente. En este episodio se revisará evidencia evidencia reciente en este sentido, derivada de uno de los pocos ensayos clínicos relacionados a este tema. Algunas referencia útiles: Singh, J. A., Shah, N. & Edwards, N. L. A cross-sectional internet-based patient survey of the management strategies for gout. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 16, 90 (2016). Juraschek, S. P. et al. Effects of dietary patterns on serum urate: results from the DASH randomized trial. Arthritis Rheumatol. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.41614 (2020). Appel, L. J. et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N. Engl. J. Med. 336, 1117–1124 (1997). Jacobs, D. R. Jr. & Steffen, L. M. Nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns as exposures in research: a framework for food synergy. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 78, 508s–513s (2003). Juraschek, S. P. et al. Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and sodium intake on serum uric acid. Arthritis Rheumatol. 68, 3002–3009 (2016). Li, C., Hsieh, M. C. & Chang, S. J. Metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and hyperuricemia. Curr. Opin. Rheumatol. 25, 210–216 (2013). Stamp, L. K. et al. Clinically insignificant effect of supplemental vitamin C on serum urate in patients with gout: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum. 65, 1636–1642 (2013). Stamp, L. K. et al. Lack of effect of tart cherry concentrate dose on serum urate in people with gout. Rheumatology 59, 2374–2380 (2020). Singh, J. A. et al. A randomized internet-based pilot feasibility and planning study of cherry extract and diet modification in gout. J. Clin. Rheumatol. 26, 147–156 (2019). Rai, S. K. et al. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ 357, j1794 (2017).

Chaga mushrooms, a natural way to regrow hair?  Tokushima University (Japan), February 28 2021 Alopecia areata is a condition characterized by hair falling out in patches. Research suggests it is caused by the immune system attacking the hair follicles, causing them to shrink and slow down hair production. Because of this, alopecia is called an autoimmune disorder. According to statistics, alopecia is a common autoimmune disorder that affects about 6.8 million people in the U.S. alone. One in five people who suffer from alopecia has a family member with the same condition. Hair loss, however, can vary from nothing more than a few patches to complete loss of hair on the scalp or the entire body. There are currently no mainstream cures for alopecia, and the reason why the immune system attacks hair follicles is still unknown. But in a recent study, researchers at Tokushima University in Japan reported a natural medicine that can potentially reverse the effects of alopecia. Inonotus obliquus, commonly known as chaga, is a parasitic fungus that grows on birch and other trees. It is traditionally used to treat gastrointestinal diseases as well as to maintain healthy hair in many countries in Asia. The researchers screened chaga mushrooms for useful phytochemicals and found that it contains plenty of potential anti-alopecia agents. They discussed their findings in detail in an article published in the Journal of Natural Medicines. Compounds in chaga mushroom promote proliferation of hair follicles Chaga mushrooms refer to the resting body, or sclerotium, of I. obliquus. In countries like China, Korea, Japan and Russia, these mushrooms are known for their favorable effects on lipid metabolism and cardiac function. Research has also found that they possess antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tumor properties, and even exhibit antiviral properties against the hepatitis C virus and the human immunodeficiency virus. On the other hand, phytochemical analysis of chaga mushrooms reveal that they are rich in polysaccharides, triterpenes and polyphenols. They also contain two components commonly derived from birch trees, namely, betulin (or betulinol) and betulinic acid. Studies show that betulin can help lower cholesterol levels and increase insulin sensitivityin mice, while betulinic acid can activate signaling pathways that lead to cancer cell death. According to Japanese researchers, chaga mushrooms are used in Mongolia to make shampoo that helps with the maintenance of strong, healthy hair. This prompted them to investigate whether chaga mushrooms can be used for the treatment of alopecia. Bioassay-guided fractionation of chaga mushroom extracts allowed them to identify five lanostane-type triterpenes whose structures they confirmed using spectroscopy. The researchers then conducted proliferation assays using human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) and found that four of the five triterpenes can promote the proliferation of HFDPCs. The compounds were identified as lanosterol, inotodiol, lanost-8,24-diene-3B,21-diol and trametenolic acid. The researchers also reported that these lanostane-type triterpenes were more potent than minoxidil, a conventional treatment for male-pattern baldness that’s used to promote hair growth. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that the lanostane-type triterpenes in chaga mushrooms are potent anti-alopecia agents that can be used to stimulate hair growth naturally.      Association of serum folate, vitamin A and vitamin C levels with greater bone mineral density Tiajin Fifth Central Hospital (China), February 22, 20221 According to news originating from the Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital research stated, “The conclusions on the associations of specific vitamin levels with bone mineral density (BMD) were controversial. Therefore, the aims of this study were to examine the associations of serum vitamins levels with BMD and the modified effect of race/ ethnicity on these associations in the US adults.” The news editors obtained a quote from the research from Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital: “This study was from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. All participants aged 18 years with complete data were eligible. Serum vitamins A, B9, B12, C, and E levels were assayed using the Quantaphase II Radioassay Kit (Bio-Rad). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was employed to measure BMD, including femur neck and the total hip. There were 6023 participants included in the final analysis. Serum folate, vitamins A and C levels were positively associated with BMD. No significant associations of serum vitamins B12 and E levels with BMD were observed. There were positive associations of serum folate level (b = 0.00027 and 0.00032; and 95% CI: 0.00002-0.00057 and 0.00002-0.00063, respectively), vitamin A level (b = 0.01132 and 0.01115; and 95% CI: 0.00478-0.01787 and 0.00430-0.01799, respectively), and vitamin C level (b = 0.00027 and 0.00029; and 95% CI: 0.00012-0.00042 and 0.00013-0.00045, respectively) with BMD at femur neck and the total hip only in the Not Hispanic participants.” According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Elevated serum folate, vitamins A and C levels were associated with a higher BMD. Furthermore, sex and race/ ethnicity modified the associations of serum vitamins levels with BMD.”     Study shows mother's diet may boost immune systems of premature infants Johns Hopkins University, February 25, 2021 Medical researchers have long understood that a pregnant mother's diet has a profound impact on her developing fetus's immune system and that babies -- especially those born prematurely -- who are fed breast milk have a more robust ability to fight disease, suggesting that even after childbirth, a mother's diet matters. However, the biological mechanisms underlying these connections have remained unclear. Now, in a study published Feb. 15, 2021, in the journal Nature Communications, a Johns Hopkins Medicine research team reports that pregnant mice fed a diet rich in a molecule found abundantly in cruciferous vegetables -- such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower -- gave birth to pups with stronger protection against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is a dangerous inflammatory condition that destroys a newborn's intestinal lining, making it one of the leading causes of mortality in premature infants. The team also found that breast milk from these mothers continued to confer immunity against NEC in their offspring.  Seen in as many as 12% of newborn babies weighing less than 3.5 pounds at birth, NEC is a rapidly progressing gastrointestinal emergency in which normally harmless gut bacteria invade the underdeveloped wall of the premature infant's colon, causing inflammation that can ultimately destroy healthy tissue at the site. If enough cells become necrotic (die) so that a hole is created in the intestinal wall, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause life-threatening sepsis. In earlier mouse studies, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine showed that NEC results when the underdeveloped intestinal lining in premature infants produces higher-than-normal amounts of a protein called toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). TLR4 in full-term babies binds with bacteria in the gut and helps keep the microbes in check. However, in premature infants, TLR4 can act like an immune system switch, with excess amounts of the protein mistakenly directing the body's defense mechanism against disease to attack the intestinal wall instead. "Based on this understanding, we designed our latest study to see if indole-3-carbinole, or I3C for short, a chemical compound common in green leafy vegetables and known to switch off the production of TLR4, could be fed to pregnant mice, get passed to their unborn children and then protect them against NEC after birth," says study senior author David Hackam, M.D., Ph.D., surgeon-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "We also wanted to determine if I3C in breast milk could maintain that protection as the infants grow."  In the first of three experiments, Hackam and his colleagues sought to induce NEC in 7-day old mice, half of which were born from mothers fed I3C derived from broccoli during their pregnancies and half from mothers fed a diet without I3C. They found that those born from mothers given I3C throughout gestation were 50% less likely to develop NEC, even with their immune systems still immature at one week after birth. The second experiment examined whether breast milk with I3C could continue to provide infant mice with protection against NEC. To do this, the researchers used mice genetically bred without the binding site on intestinal cells for I3C known as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). When AHR-lacking pups were given breast milk from mice fed a diet containing I3C, they could not process the compound. Therefore, they developed severe NEC 50% more frequently than infant mice that had the I3C receptor.  The researchers say this shows in mice -- and suggests in humans -- that AHR must be activated to protect babies from NEC and that what a mother eats during breastfeeding -- in this case, I3C -- can impact the ability of her milk to bolster an infant's developing immune system.  In confirmatory studies, Hackam and his colleagues looked at the amounts of AHR in human tissue obtained from infants undergoing surgery for severe NEC. They found significantly lower than normal levels of the receptor, suggesting that reduced AHR predisposes infants to the disease. Finally, the researchers searched for a novel drug that could be given to pregnant women to optimize AHR's positive effect and reduce the risk of NEC in the event of premature birth. After screening in pregnant mice a variety of compounds already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for other clinical uses, the researchers observed that one, which they called A18 (clinically known as lansoprazole, a drug approved for the treatment of gastrointestinal hyperacidity), activates the I3C receptor, limits TLR4 signaling and prevents gut bacteria from infiltrating the intestinal wall.  To show the relevance of what they saw in mice, the researchers tested A18 in the laboratory on human intestinal tissue removed from patients with NEC and found the drug produced similar protective results. "These findings enable us to imagine the possibility of developing a maternal diet that can not only boost an infant's overall growth, but also enhance the immune system of a developing fetus and, in turn, reduce the risk of NEC if the baby is born prematurely," says Hackam.   Plant-based diets improve cardiac function, cognitive health Boston University Medical School, February 25, 2021 What if you could improve your heart health and brain function by changing your diet? Boston University School of Medicine researchers have found that by eating more plant-based food such as berries and green leafy vegetables while limiting consumption of foods high in saturated fat and animal products, you can slow down heart failure (HF) and ultimately lower your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Heart failure (HF) affects over 6.5 million adults in the U.S. In addition to its detrimental effects on several organ systems, presence of HF is associated with higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Similarly, changes in cardiac structure and function (cardiac remodeling) that precede the appearance of HF are associated with poor cognitive function and cerebral health.  The adoption of diets, such as the Mediterranean diet (MIND) and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), which are characterized by high intakes of plant-based foods are among lifestyle recommendations for the prevention of HF. However, whether a dietary pattern that emphasizes foods thought to promote the maintenance of neurocognitive health also mitigates changes in cardiac structure and function (cardiac remodeling) has been unclear until now. The researchers found the MIND diet, which emphasizes consumption of berries and green leafy vegetables while limiting intakes of foods high in saturated fat and animal products, positively benefited the hearts' left ventricular function which is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood throughout the body. The researchers evaluated the dietary and echocardiographic data of 2,512 participants of the Framingham Heart Study (Offspring Cohort), compared their MIND diet score to measures of cardiac structure and function and observed that a dietary pattern that emphasizes foods thought to promote the maintenance of neurocognitive health also mitigates cardiac remodeling. According to the researchers previous studies have highlighted the importance of diet as a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. "Our findings highlight the importance of adherence to the MIND diet for a better cardiovascular health and further reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in the community," explained corresponding author Vanessa Xanthakis, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and biostatistics at BUSM and an Investigator for the Framingham Heart Study. Although Xanthakis acknowledges that following a healthy diet may not always be easy or fit with today's busy schedules, people should make a concerted effort to adhere to healthy eating to help lower risk of disease and achieve better quality of life.         Fear of memory loss impacts well-being and quality of life Trinity College Dublin, February 23, 2021 Research from the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) at Trinity College suggests that experiencing high levels of fear about dementia can have harmful effects on older adults' beliefs about their memory and general well-being. To date, few studies have measured the impact of dementia-related fear on daily functioning, despite its clinical relevance. In this new study, published in the journal Aging and Mental Health, researchers investigated if fear of memory decline predicted increased memory failures and poorer quality of life in older adults. Dr. Francesca Farina, Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at GBHI, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Cambridge, University of Maastricht and Northwestern University developed a novel scale—known as the Fear of Memory Loss (FAM) scale—to capture different components of fear related to memory loss. Using the scale, healthy older adults aged 55+ were assessed with respect to the different dimensions of fear. Questions probed specific fears like becoming dependent on others, being treated differently by friends or colleagues, and loss of identity, as well as coping strategies like avoiding social situations for fear of embarrassment. Findings from the study showed that having higher levels of fear about dementia was associated with reporting more memory lapses and a lower quality of life. Notably, these results were independent of performance on memory tests and the level of reported anxiety. That is, fears about dementia had a negative influence on peoples' beliefs regardless of how they performed on an objective lab-based memory test, or how they rated their anxiety levels. Key findings: Heightened fear of memory loss significantly predicted lower quality of life and increased self-reported memory failures, after controlling for objective memory performance and general anxiety. There was no difference in the level of fear expressed between those with and without a family history of dementia. Though surprising, this result is consistent with evidence of widespread fear of dementia among the general population. Over half of respondents (57%) said they worried about losing their memory and feared how people would treat them if this happened. The novel FAM scale highlights the important role played by avoidance behaviors in maintaining fear, along with subjective experiences and cognitions. Findings also have important healthcare implications. Fear of dementia is a psychological process that can be modified using interventions such as psycho-education and psychotherapy. The researchers propose a preliminary fear-avoidance model, where perceived changes in memory result in fear, which over time, creates avoidance and social withdrawal. This combination of fear and avoidance has a negative impact on everyday functioning, which then impairs mood and sense of self. Identifying effective ways to challenge fears about dementia could prove beneficial to individuals and society. On the individual level, reducing fear could lead to improvements in how people view their memory function and quality of life. At the societal level, acknowledging and addressing fears about dementia would help to eliminate stigma associated with the condition. Dr. Francesca Farina, Atlantic Fellow at GBHI, and lead author said: "Almost 80% of the general public are concerned about developing dementia, according to the World Alzheimer Report 2019. Evidence also suggests that these fears increase with age. Given global population aging and the increased visibility of dementia, it is crucial that we find ways to address peoples' fears. Understanding and tackling these fears will serve to promote brain health and well-being, and reduce societal stigma for people living with disease and their carers." Tackling Fear and Stigma Through Art Data from the study inspired "Remembering What I Have Forgotten': a fictional diary written from the perspective of someone experiencing symptoms of dementia. Created by Irish artist Aoibheann Brady, student at the National College of Art and Design, the diary aims to capture the feelings and perspectives of people experiencing memory loss. Through the medium of a diary, "Remembering What I Have Forgotten' offers a realistic insight into the experience of dementia, with entries such as "I feel more withdrawn and am not going out or connecting" and "I am anxious that I will make mistakes." This diary, however, was not written by a person—but by a software application known as a chatbot, which had been trained on anonymous interviews with healthcare professionals and carers of people living with dementia. Aoibheann Brady, creator of "Remembering What I Have Forgotten' said: "With this project, I aimed to create work that is a crossover between art and science. I hope it helps demonstrate, to younger generations and members of the art world, that dementia is something that should be considered more in artistic practices."     Diet of fish and olive oils beneficially modifies membrane properties in striatal rat synaptosomes National Institute of Neurology & Neurosurgery (Mexico), February 25, 2021 According to news reporting originating in Mexico City, Mexico, research stated, “Essential fatty acids (EFAs) and non-essential fatty acids (nEFAs) exert experimental and clinical neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases. The main EFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), nEFAs, and oleic acid (OA) contained in olive and fish oils are inserted into the cell membranes, but the exact mechanism through which they exert neuroprotection is still unknown.” The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the National Institute of Neurology & Neurosurgery, “In this study, we assessed the fatty acids content and membrane fluidity in striatal rat synaptosomes after fatty acid-rich diets (olive- or a fish-oil diet, 15% w/w). Then, we evaluated the effect of enriching striatum synaptosomes with fatty acids on the oxidative damage produced by the prooxidants ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) or quinolinic acid (QUIN). Lipid profile analysis in striatal synaptosomes showed that EPA content increased in the fish oil group in comparison with control and olive groups. Furthermore, we found that synaptosomes enriched with fatty acids and incubated with QUIN or FeSO4 showed a significant oxidative damage reduction.” According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Results suggest that EFAs, particularly EPA, improve membrane fluidity and confer antioxidant effect.” This research has been peer-reviewed.     Soy intake is associated with lowering blood pressure in adults: A meta-analysis of randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Iran), February 24, 2021 Soy has several beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, results of clinical trial studies are equivocal. Thus, the present study sought to discern the efficacy of soy intake on blood pressure. Methods The search process was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, to ascertain studies investigating the efficacy of soy intake on blood pressure in adults, published up to June 2020. A random-effects model was applied to pool mean difference and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Meta-regression analysis was performed to discern potential sources of heterogeneity. Begg’s and Egger’s methods were conducted to assess publication bias. Results Pooled effects from 17 studies revealed a significant improvement in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (-1.64; -3.25 to -0.04 mmHg; I2 = 50.5 %) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (-1.21; -2.29 to -0.12 mmHg, I2 = 50.7 %) following soy consumption, in comparison with controls. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a reduction in both SBP and DBP in younger participants with lower baseline blood pressure and intervention durations of

Reference: 1.Neogi, T., Chen, C., Niu, J., Chaisson, C., Hunter, D. J., & Zhang, Y. (2014). Alcohol quantity and type on risk of recurrent gout attacks: an internet-based case-crossover study. The American journal of medicine, 127(4), 311-318. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.12.019 2.Dessein PH, Shipton EA, Stanwix AE, Joffe BI, Ramokgadi J. Beneficial effects of weight loss associated with moderate calorie/carbohydrate restriction, and increased proportional intake of protein and unsaturated fat on serum urate and lipoprotein levels in gout: a pilot study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2000;59(7):539-43. 3.Jamnik, J., Rehman, S., Blanco Mejia, S., de Souza, R. J., Khan, T. A., Leiter, L. A., . . . Sievenpiper, J. L. (2016). Fructose intake and risk of gout and hyperuricemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ open, 6(10), e013191-e013191. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013191 4.Williams, P. T. (2008). Effects of diet, physical activity and performance, and body weight on incident gout in ostensibly healthy, vigorously active men. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87(5), 1480-1487. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1480 5.Choi, H. K., & Curhan, G. (2008). Soft drinks, fructose consumption, and the risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 336(7639), 309-312. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39449.819271.BE 6.Kaneko, K., Aoyagi, Y., Fukuuchi, T., Inazawa, K., & Yamaoka, N. (2014). Total purine and purine base content of common foodstuffs for facilitating nutritional therapy for gout and hyperuricemia. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, b13-00967. 7.Zhang, Y., Neogi, T., Chen, C., Chaisson, C., Hunter, D. J., & Choi, H. K. (2012). Cherry consumption and decreased risk of recurrent gout attacks. Arthritis and rheumatism, 64(12), 4004-4011. doi: 10.1002/art.34677 8.Rai, S. K., Fung, T. T., Lu, N., Keller, S. F., Curhan, G. C., & Choi, H. K. (2017). The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 357, j1794. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j1794 9.Iftikhar N. Natural Ways to Reduce Uric Acid in the Body: Healthline; 2019 [cited 2020 1 June ]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-reduce-uric-acid. 10.Tricia Kinman SW. Everything You Need to Know About Gout: Healthline; 2019 [cited 2020 1 June]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/gout.

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) - a cluster of conditions, such as increased abdominal obesity, pre-hypertension, dyslipidemia (triglycerides, HDL cholesterol), and pre-diabetes - predisposes that individual, who meets the criteria, to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even potentially to certain forms of cancer. It’s now a public health concern world-wide.According to research – Dietary Patterns and Metabolic Syndrome in Adult Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – which appears in the September 2019 online journal Nutrients, “the diagnosis of MetS requires three or more of the following criteria: (i) waist circumference >102 cm in men (40 inches) and >88 cm in women (35 inches); (ii) HDL-C

Episode Summary:Dr. Dan discusses a science-based eating pattern that can lower blood pressure.Episode References:Blood pressure prevalence by the WHO: https://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/blood_pressure_prevalence_text/en/Original New England Journal of Medicine report on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9099655/See here for a good review of the DASH eating plan: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509411/ Substituting either protein or fat for carbohydrates in the DASH plan is effective: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16287956/DASH can help manage gout: https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1794Diabetes management and DASH: https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/2/76DASH can lower risk of chronic kidney disease: https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(19)30168-1/fulltext Insomnia reduced in people on DASH: https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-019-2220-6Less than 1% of the US population follows the DASH plan: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18268173/

Day 05: Cook a meal with a vegetable you have never tried before.EVegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet, and variety is as important as quantity.No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. Eat plenty everyday.A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check.Eat a variety of types and colors of produce in order to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. Try dark leafy greens; brightly colored red, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits; and cooked tomatoes.Eat more vegetables and fruits each day1. Keep fruit where you can see it. That way you’ll be more likely to eat it.2. Explore the produce aisle and choose something new. Variety is the key to a healthy diet.3. Skip the potatoes. Choose other vegetables that are packed with more nutrients and more slowly digested carbohydrates.4. Make it a meal. Try cooking new recipes that include more vegetables. Salads and stir fries are two ideas for getting tasty vegetables on your plate.Vegetables, fruits, and diseaseCardiovascular diseaseThere is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years.The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. (1)Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions. (1)When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease (2) and stroke, (3) compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.Blood pressureThe Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study (4) examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve.A randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. (5)In 2014 a meta-analysis of clinical trials and observational studies found that consumption of a vegetarian diet was associated with lower blood pressure (19).CancerNumerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. Unlike case-control studies, cohort studies, which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don’t rely on information from the past. And, in general, data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer.For example, in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, over a 14-year period, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5). (1)Metamorphus is an organization dedicated to helping people using modern day tools in a world that's always changing. Our goal is to provide a free and accessible resource to those suffering from mental health worldwide. Together, we can revolutionize the mental health crisis that is unfolding today with your help. You can expect helpful content like: - Daily Lifestyle Challenges- Introspective Interviews with Leading Professionals- Healthy Living Tips & Advice- Personal Mental Health Struggle StoriesPlease contact us if you would like to chat, feedback, and guest queries. Email - info@metamorphus.orgWebsite - metamorphus.orgFollow Us on Social Media Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/metamorphus_org/Twitter - https://twitter.com/Metamorphus_OrgFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/Metamorphus.org/Mark Metry - https://www.instagram.com/markmetry/Brendan Cutuli - https://www.instagram.com/cutulib/

Day 05: Cook a meal with a vegetable you have never tried before.EVegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet, and variety is as important as quantity.No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. Eat plenty everyday.A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check.Eat a variety of types and colors of produce in order to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. Try dark leafy greens; brightly colored red, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits; and cooked tomatoes.Eat more vegetables and fruits each day1. Keep fruit where you can see it. That way you’ll be more likely to eat it.2. Explore the produce aisle and choose something new. Variety is the key to a healthy diet.3. Skip the potatoes. Choose other vegetables that are packed with more nutrients and more slowly digested carbohydrates.4. Make it a meal. Try cooking new recipes that include more vegetables. Salads and stir fries are two ideas for getting tasty vegetables on your plate.Vegetables, fruits, and diseaseCardiovascular diseaseThere is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years.The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. (1)Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions. (1)When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease (2) and stroke, (3) compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.Blood pressureThe Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study (4) examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve.A randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. (5)In 2014 a meta-analysis of clinical trials and observational studies found that consumption of a vegetarian diet was associated with lower blood pressure (19).CancerNumerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. Unlike case-control studies, cohort studies, which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don’t rely on information from the past. And, in general, data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer.For example, in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, over a 14-year period, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5). (1)Metamorphus is an organization dedicated to helping people using modern day tools in a world that's always changing. Our goal is to provide a free and accessible resource to those suffering from mental health worldwide. Together, we can revolutionize the mental health crisis that is unfolding today with your help. You can expect helpful content like: - Daily Lifestyle Challenges- Introspective Interviews with Leading Professionals- Healthy Living Tips & Advice- Personal Mental Health Struggle StoriesPlease contact us if you would like to chat, feedback, and guest queries. Email - info@metamorphus.orgWebsite - metamorphus.orgFollow Us on Social Media Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/metamorphus_org/Twitter - https://twitter.com/Metamorphus_OrgFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/Metamorphus.org/Mark Metry - https://www.instagram.com/markmetry/Brendan Cutuli - https://www.instagram.com/cutulib/

Authors: Dawn E. Epstein; Andrew Sherwood, PhD; Patrick J. Smith, PhD; Linda Craighead, PhD; Carla Caccia, RD; Pao-Hwa Lin, PhD; Michael A. Babyak, PhD; Julie J. Johnson, PA-C; Alan Hinderliter, MD; James A. Blumenthal, PhD. Video: A new study finds that greater adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet can lead to significant reductions in blood pressure, but that African Americans are less likely to adopt the diet compared to whites. Strong cultural influences on food preferences, food preparation, and perceptions about eating practices may be contributing factors for African Americans. November 2012 (Volume 112, Issue 11, DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.07.007).

This episode we will cover clinical lifestyle evidence based medicine in cardiovascular disease.  We will cover: - What is Lifestyle Medicine (LM)? - Why do we need it? - Chronic disease burden  - What are the myths and facts about changing peoples lifestyles? - LM in hypertension, size of effect and details - including DASH diet, reduction by weight loss, smoking cessation, diet changes, physical activity, mindfulness and some specific foods - LM in high cholesterol - LM in coronary artery disease - LM in secondary prevention of stroke   References: https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/PRO-167_Hypertension-guideline-2016_WEB.pdf https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/Absolute-CVD-Risk-Full-Guidelines.pdf Salehi-Abargouei A, Maghsoudi Z, Shirani F. Effects of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-style diet on fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular diseases – incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis on observational prospective studies. Nutrition 2013; 29:611–618. Siervo M, Lara J, Chowdhury S et al. Effects of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Nutr 2015;113:1–15. http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/409499?resultClick=3 CAD -  http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/188274?resultclick=1 http://thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PII0140-6736(90)91656-U/abstract?cc=y Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis - http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/69/1/30.full Stroke - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24029303 Social isolation in disease -  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11292274,  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15760298 Mindfulness -  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24127622 Flaxseed -  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24126178 http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2016/september/the-changing-face-of-australian-general-practice-across-the-decades/

Learn how to control your high blood pressure with the country's number 1 expert on hypertension especially in the minority community, Dr. Elijah Saunders.  Learn about the latest research on the subject of high blood pressure management and how best to protect your cardiovascular health.  We will also demystify the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.   Dr. Elijah Saunders is a board certified cardiologist and Professor of Medicine and Head, section of Hypertension in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  He received the American Heart Association's Award of Merit, Louis B. Russell Award (highest award for contribution to cardiovascular minority health) and the Presidential Award from the Maryland Affiliate. He was honored by the Associated Black Charities Inc as a "Living Legend" and he received the Honor Award and Golden Key from the University of Maryland Medical Alumni Association as well as the Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Recognition Award from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.  He was honored by the Association of Black Cardiologist in conjunction with the National Medical in 2003 as the "Cardiologist of the Year.   Listen for the tip of the week.   Disclaimer:  The information presented is for educational purposes only and not intended for diagnosis or treatment.