August 2019
Circulation
AU G U S T ’ S
Nutrients support healthy arteries, lipids Magnesium reduced PAD Peripheral artery disease (PAD) narrows arteries distant from the heart; most often affecting the legs, but also the arms and gut. In this large study, the first of its kind, doctors followed 13,826 adults for an average of 24 years, screening each for circulating magnesium levels every three years. Participants began the study without PAD. Overall, those whose magnesium levels were no higher than 1.4 milliequivalents per liter of blood (mEq/L) were 38 percent more likely to have developed PAD over the study period compared to those whose magnesium levels were at least 1.8 mEq/L. To isolate the health effects of magnesium, doctors adjusted for other factors that raise chances for PAD, including smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, and still found an independent link between PAD and low magnesium levels in both men and women.
Vitamin D reduces artery stiffness Stiff arteries contribute to circulatory problems, and recent research shows a link to low levels of vitamin D. In this study, 70 overweight African-Americans, aged 13 to 45, with
deficient vitamin D levels at or below 20 nanograms per milliliter of blood (ng/ mL), took 600 IU, 2,000 IU, or 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day, or a placebo. After 16 weeks, the placebo group saw a 2 percent increase in artery stiffness, and those taking 600 IU of vitamin D had a 0.1 percent increase. The 2,000 IU group saw artery stiffness decrease by 2 percent and, in what doctors said was a rapid improvement, the 4,000 IU vitamin D group had a 10.4 percent decrease in artery stiffness. Vitamin D levels improved to sufficient levels in both the 2,000 IU and 4,000 IU vitamin D groups, to 30 and 35.7 ng/mL, respectively. Reference: Atherosclerosis; 2019, Vol. 282, 196-201
Healthy Insight
Counteracting Cataract A cataract clouds the lens of the eye, reducing vision, and usually develops with age. Doctors believe antioxidants and the colorful carotenoids help protect the eye. In this analysis, doctors reviewed eight placebo-controlled trials, plus 12 studies following men and women over several years. Overall, for every 10 mg increase per day of lutein or zeaxanthin, chances for age-related cataract declined 26 percent. Each 500 mg daily increase in vitamin C lowered chances 18 percent; each 5 mg increase in beta-carotene, 8 percent; and each 5 mg daily increase in vitamin A lowered chances of cataract by 6 percent. Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 2019, Vol. 109, No. 1, 43-54
This Issue
Nutrients help rebuild metabolism
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Vitamin D reduced ashtma, DHA reduced blood pressure
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Nutrients protect premenopausal women
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Early-Stage Discoveries in Nutrition
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Probiotics improve sleep quality and mood
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Metabolics
Nutrients help rebalance metabolism Inulin, insulin sensitivity, and the gut microbiome In this pilot study of nine women and three men, overweight and average age 60, participants took 20 grams of inulin fiber per day or a cellulose fiber placebo for 42 days, stopped for at least 28 days, then switched inulin and placebo for another 42 days. Compared to the placebo phases, insulin sensitivity improved during the inulin phases; meaning the body was able to use its natural insulin more efficiently to metabolize sugars. In the gut, inulin also increased the class of beneficial bacteria (actinobacteria) that includes the probiotic bifidobacterium. In addition, gut levels of the pathogen clostridia—to which humans have few immune defenses—significantly decreased.
Curcumin improves NAFLD Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver due to causes other than alcohol, such as diabetes, obesity, and age, and there is no approved drug treatment. In this study, 84 overweight or obese adults with NAFLD, aged 25 to 50, took a placebo or 40 mg of curcumin after breakfast and dinner. After three months, while the placebo group had not improved significantly, in the curcumin group, 40 percent of those who began with mild symptoms no longer had NAFLD, and 85 percent of those with moderate NAFLD saw symptoms decrease to mild. Also for curcumin, the inflammatory factor high-sensitivity C-reactive protein declined 39 percent;
LDL cholesterol declined 15.8 percent, to 114.6 from 135.6; triglycerides declined 18 percent, to 142.5 from 175.9; and fasting blood insulin levels declined 18.75 percent, to 6.5 from 8.0. Reference: Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism; 2019, Vol. 21, No. 2, 372-6
Mother and Child Vitamin D reduced asthma, DHA reduced blood pressure Vitamin D, air pollution, asthma, and obesity Doctors were curious after noticing inner-city black children were often deficient in vitamin D and frequently had asthma. In this study of 120
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Baltimore-area children, ages 5 to 12, doctors periodically measured vitamin D levels, asthma symptoms, and took indoor air samples from children’s homes. After nine months, overall, kids with low levels of vitamin D had more asthma symptoms than those with higher vitamin D levels. In a surprising finding, obese children in homes with the highest air pollution benefited most from higher vitamin D levels reducing asthma symptoms. Doctors said, in addition to indoor air pollution and low levels of vitamin D, the findings revealed a third factor in childhood asthma: obesity. Taking vitamin D supplements may be the easiest, safest way to increase levels of vitamin D for children in urban environments. August 2019
Moms’ DHA, kids’ blood pressure In earlier findings, the omega-3 DHA lowered blood pressure in adults and children, but doctors wanted to test how mothers’ DHA might affect their children. In this study, doctors followed 171 children born to mothers who had begun taking a placebo or 600 mg of DHA per day at 14.5 weeks pregnant through delivery. About 30 percent of the children were overweight or obese and, among these, by the age of six, those whose mothers had taken DHA during pregnancy had average systolic and diastolic blood pressures of 100/59 mmHg compared to 104/64 mmHg for placebo. Reference: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology; 2019, S2213-2918, Published Online
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Women Nutrients protect premenopausal women Green tea reduces bladder infection Common bladder, or lower urinary tract, infections are easy to treat. Symptoms include painful urination, frequent urges, and bacteria and white blood cells in the urine. Doctors usually prescribe antibiotics for these infections, which are typically caused by E. coli. But about 20 percent of E. coli strains have become antibiotic resistant. In this study, 70 healthy premenopausal non-pregnant women, aged 18 to 50, with acute uncomplicated bladder infection, took standard antibiotics plus a placebo or capsules containing 566 mg of phenols and 130 mg of epigallocatechin from green tea. Doctors asked the women to take green tea capsules for three nights before bed in order to maximize its antioxidant
effect overnight. On the fourth day, while 16 percent of those in the placebo group had no symptoms, 97 percent of those taking green tea had no symptoms.
Vitamin D, omega-3, hormones Estradiol, an estrogen hormone, is essential to reproductive, bone, heart, and kidney health. In this eight-week study, 86 premenopausal women, aged 33 to 42 and deficient in vitamin D, took 50,000 IU of vitamin D per week; 1,300 mg of fish-oil omega-3 per day; these two nutrients together; or no supplements. Women taking vitamin D alone saw a decline in estradiol, while those taking omega-3 alone saw vitamin D levels decline. But women who took vitamin D together with omega-3 maintained their estradiol and vitamin D levels, suggesting potential bone, heart, and kidney health benefits in normal, young premenopausal women deficient in vitamin D. Reference: Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice; 2019, Vol. 34, 13-6
AU G U S T ’ S
Ahead of the Curve Early-Stage Discoveries: Curcumin, Quercetin, Choline, Probiotics Good results in the lab can lead to larger human trials. Here are some of the most promising recent findings.
Curcumin and quercetin inhibit cancer
Choline may protect next generation from Alzheimer’s
Probiotic reduces staph infection
Doctors thought combining natural compounds including flavonoids and alkaloids might have anti-cancer effects. In the lab, doctors treated breast, colorectal, lung, and melanoma cancer cell-lines with a combination of curcumin and quercetin. Together, curcumin and quercetin reduced cancer cell proliferation and triggered apoptosis—or programmed cell death. Discussing the findings, doctors said this is the first study to combine curcumin and quercetin to generate a synergistic anti-cancer effect, including inhibiting cancer cell reproduction and accelerating cancer cell death.
Choline, an essential nutrient, converts the inflammatory factor homocysteine into methionine, which is beneficial. Doctors believe homocysteine is a nerve toxin that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the lab, mice with AD symptoms fed choline during gestation and lactation had offspring with better spacial memory than those born to mothers that did not receive choline. The third generation offspring also showed memory benefits even without choline supplements. Choline also suppressed microglia, an inflammatory immune cell that becomes overactive in AD.
Staph aureus is a common bacterium in the body, usually found in the skin, but also populating the nose or gut without harm. But, when the skin barrier breaks, or the immune system weakens, S. aureus can cause skin infection, or even fatal pneumonia and sepsis. In the lab, doctors fed mice the probiotic bacillus, which completely eliminated all strains of S. aureus. Doctors hope to develop a probiotic that can eliminate methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), a treatment-resistant strain common in hospitals.
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Reference: Phytomedicine; January, 2019, Vol. 52, 117-28
August 2019 3
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Sleep Well, Feel Better
Probiotics improved sleep quality and mood New evidence of gut-brain link Ivan Pavlov, the Russian physiologist, famously gave dogs food, immediately followed by the sound of a buzzer or metronome. At first, dogs salivated when they saw food. Eventually, dogs salivated when they heard the buzzer or metronome without food, proving the brain could trigger appetite. Now, new research suggests a two-way street: the gut can influence mood by sending nerve signals to the brain through the central nervous system. In this study, 33 healthy adults, average age 22, took a placebo or a multi-strain probiotic. Before, during, and after the six-week study, doctors measured mood, personality, and sleep quality. Overall, while there was 4
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little change for placebo, those taking probiotics reported better sleep and significant improvements in mood, including fewer depressive symptoms, and less anger and fatigue. As sleep quality improved, so did mood scores. Doctors said improving mood through probiotics may help reduce sensitivity to negative situations, and the urgent need to deal with them. Reference: Frontiers in Psychiatry; March, 2019, Published Online
We’re dedicated to discovering the benefits of good nutrition and healthy lifestyle, and hope this issue of Dish informs and inspires you to take an active role in your health. Please ask us to assist you with any natural products you would like to know more about. These articles provide nutritional information only and do not replace professional medical advice. Printed on Recycled Paper
August 2019
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