Being Around Nature is Good For You

Recent research led by Stanford University shows how increasing a persons access to nature is beneficial for overall health. It shows that people that live in cities need places to go to that will increase their physical activity. Places in nature such as parks, lakes, green spaces will help boost a persons physical activity, therefore, increasing their overall wellbeing.

Spending time outdoors in nature can provide health benefits that have previously been unstudied. Since the last year has been shelter-in-place, it is now understood how spending time in nature is especially important for city-dwellers. Being around parks, green spaces, lakes, trees provide support emotional, cognitive and spiritual well-being. They also provide physical activity for people that otherwise would miss if these spaces were not around them in the city.

This study can help city planners design green spaces that would support people’s health to receive nature’s benefits. Walking to a garden, or riding a bicycle along a path or just sitting in a beautiful park help people relieve stress and enjoy nature. Being in nature can help boost attention, memory and creativity and help a person become happier and have a sense of meaning in life.

It has become increasingly harder for people to easily access nature as our cities become more urbanized. This research will hopefully help identify where urban nature spaces are missing and plan to fill in these places with parks or green spaces.

The goal is to provide more healthy, livable places in the city where people can be with nature and increase physical and emotional well-being. This new research shows an important link between physical health and nature that had previously been missing.

To view the original scientific study click below:

Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective

Why You Should Eat Leafy Green Vegetables

Green-leafy vegetables are among the very healthiest foods you can eat. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, polyphenols and more. Of course, they are also very low in calories making them a great food for losing or maintaining weight.

Some of the best green-leafy vegetables are collards, kale, arugula, spinach, swiss chard, bok choy, parsley, watercress and cilantro.

Green leafy vegetables are high in vitamins A, C and K. They are full of antioxidants, minerals and a natural source of fiber. They are a slow digesting fiber which aids digestion and slows the rate at which your body absorbs sugar thus eliminating blood sugar or glucose spikes.

They all contain high levels of magnesium, necessary for muscle and bone formation and helping to absorb calcium. They are a good source of potassium. The plant pigments found in them, lutein and zeaxanthin have beneficial effects on eye health.

They fill you up so you are likely to eat less and increase your metabolism to keep production of red blood cells at a healthy rate. The folate in them contributes to serotonin production, therefore, lifting your mood. They also contain a large amount of water keeping your body hydrated to maintain healthy skin and hair.

There are two different ways to eat greens. Baby greens are picked when they are tiny plants. At this point, they have not developed any bitterness or toughness. These are great to eat raw in salads or blended into a smoothie, therefore, getting lots of nutrients from them. Lettuce, which is typically used in salads is low in nutrients, therefore it is better to make salads with baby greens Mature greens are picked when they are large plants. They are higher in minerals and some other nutrients, however they tend to be bitter and tough. These are best eaten cooked such as steamed or added to soups.

Eating green-leafy vegetables is a great source of rich nutrients. Eating some of them on a daily basis will provide a good source of nutritional benefits for a persons overall health.

How Dietary Sugar Intake Can Disrupt Memory Function

New research from the University of Georgia has shown that daily consumption of high sugar content in beverages consumed by adolescents has impaired performance on a memory and learning task during adulthood.

It is known that children consume the highest levels of added sugar to their diet. This has been linked to health affects relevant to heart disease, obesity and even loss of memory function. But it is not known how this affects children during the development of the region of the brain known as the hippocampus. The hippocampus is specifically important for memory and learning.

The team used mice in their study and found that changes in the gut bacteria, known as Parabacteroides showed memory deficits. The team enriched the levels of Parabacteroides in the mice, experimentally. They found that the mice performed worse depending on the higher levels of Parabacteroides. Consuming sugar early in life increases Parabacteroide levels leading to impairment of memory function.

The dietary guidelines suggest a sugar intake of less than 10% of calories per day. It has been shown that children between 9-18 consume more than this mainly coming from sugar-sweetened beverages.

In relation to a high sugar intake, researchers wanted to learn more about the consequences of a high sugar diet via gut microbiota. The mice were given their normal diet with a sugar solution of 11%. This is comparable to the sugar in a beverage. They then had the mice perform a memory task. The mice that had consumed the sugar showed a lower capacity to discriminate objects to a specific purpose. The mice without the sugar were able to perform this without any problem.

The analyses confirmed that consumption of high sugar levels lead to heightened levels of Parabacteroides in the gut microbiome. Even the mice that had never consumed sugar showed impairment when their levels of Parabacteroides were increased experimentally.

Further research is needed to explain how high levels of this bacteria in the gut can alter development of the brain.

To view the original scientific study click below:
Gut microbial taxa elevated by dietary sugar disrupt memory function

The Amazing Avocado

Did you know the avocado is a fruit? Grown on a tree it is very nutritious and is considered a superfood. Its health properties are many, including 20 vitamins and minerals and lots of fiber. It’s potassium level rivals that of a banana.

There are various types and can vary in shape and color. From pear-shaped to round and from various shades of green to almost black. The variety called ‘Hass’ is the most popular. It is usually pear-shaped and is green with bumpy skin. The skin and the seed are discarded. The green flesh can be eaten raw, cut up and put on salads or mashed and mixed with herbs, spices and apple cider vinegar for a salad dressing. A popular way to eat it is to make fresh guacamole. Because an avocado starts to oxidize soon after cutting, it is best to eat it right away.

An avocado is loaded with healthy fats even though it is considered to be a high-fat food. But the large part of fat in an avocado is oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid. This is the fat in olive oil, believed to have great health benefits. Avocados, or avocado oil can also increase the amount of antioxidants a person takes in when it is eaten with vegetables. Eaten together it helps the body absorb the nutrient value of the vegetables or other plant food. And avocados are high in antioxidants themselves. High antioxidant levels have been shown to be important for eye health.

The avocado also provides the body with 7 grams of fiber, of which about 25% is soluble. Soluble fiber feeds the friendly gut bacteria in a persons intestines. This is very important to keep all bodily functions working normally. It has also been shown that fiber can be beneficial for weight loss and metabolic health. Eating one avocado with a meal can make a person feel more satisfied with less cravings to eat more over the next few hours, thus cutting down on calories consumed.

There are many ways to use an avocado. They have a creamy, rich texture that is easily chopped up or mashed and added to a recipe. You can also scoop them out with a spoon and eat just plain. If not used soon after cutting they do tend to turn brown. Sprinkling with lemon juice can help to prevent this. An avocado should feel slightly soft when it is ripe.

Overall, the avocado is a great food that is delicious and healthy.

New Science for Tooth Regeneration

A new study by scientists at Kyoto University and the Univ. of Fukui may soon offer some hope for people that have lost teeth. They have found that an antibody for one gene, the uterine sensitization associated gene-1 or USAG-1 can stimulate new tooth growth. This was established with mice that were suffering from tooth agenesis, which is a congenital condition.

An adult person has 32 teeth but around one percent of the population has either more or less due to congenital conditions. Both of these occurrences have been explored by scientists for the genetic causes. They have already identified the fundamental molecules that are responsible for tooth development.

Several molecules interact with the morphogenesis of teeth including BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) and Wnt signaling. Tooth development involves BMP and Wnt plus much more. The growth of organs and tissues are modulated during the early development of a human body. Thus, drugs that directly affect this activity are avoided, inhibiting side effects. Therefore, the team used the gene USAG-1, which could be safer and would not antagonize BMP and Wnt in tooth development.

They already knew that the suppression of USAG-1 can benefit tooth growth. But they had no idea if this alone would be enough. So they investigated using monoclonal antibodies for USAG-1. These are routinely used to treat arthritis, cancers and vaccine development.

But they soon found out that BMP and Wnt interact with USAG-1, leading to poor survival and birth rates of mice. Therefore, BMP and Wnt is important to the growth of the whole body. But one antibody disrupted the interaction with USAG-1 with only BMP. BMP signaling is dependent on determining the amount of teeth in the mice.

This was the first study to show that monoclonal antibodies for tooth regeneration can provide a therapeutic plan that currently is only being resolved with tooth implants and other measures that are artificial. Tooth regeneration cannot use conventional tissue engerineering so this study shows that cell-free molecular therapy can be and effective tood for congenital tooth agenesis.

To view the original scientific study click below:
Anti–USAG-1 therapy for tooth regeneration through enhanced BMP signaling

Is Red Meat Consumption Good For You?

A recent study by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) was conducted with close to 20,000 people with examination of their consumption of red and processed meat associated with their heart anatomy and function. As an observational study it was discovered that the more red meat a person ate the worse their heart function could be.

Previous studies show there is an increased risk of heart problems or death from heart disease from eating a greater amount of red meat. Therefore, examining how red meat consumption and heart health imaging measures are related were taken into consideration for the first time. The study hopes this will help them understand any mechanisms involved with the previous connections pertaining to cardiovascular disease.

The study did not compare red meat from 100% grass fed animals with meat from those that are grain fed so the results should be interpreted as relating to ordinary grocery store, butcher shop or restaurant red meat which is almost always grain fed. Animals that are grain fed have much higher levels of fat including arachidonic acid which can cause inflammation when consumed in excess and may be a major cause of degenerative disease.

Three measures of heart function and health were conducted. The first being CMR or cardiovascular magnetic resonance. This assesses the heart function that is currently used in clinical practices such as ventricle volume and pumping function. The second measure was CMR radiomics that are used to obtain information from images of the heart correlating to texture and shape. This can indicate the heart muscle health. The third measure was blood vessel elasticity or stretchiness.

There were adjustments made for factors that could affect the relationship. These were age, deprivation, smoking, sex, alcohol, high blood pressure, exercise, diabetes, high cholesterol and a person’s body mass index for obesity.

The study concluded that a higher consumption of red meat, including processed meats were related to imaging measures of the heart that were worse. It was shown that persons with a higher consumption of red meat intake had stiffer arteries, a worse heart function and also had ventricles that were smaller. These are all evidence of poor cardiovascular health.

To further enhance the study, they also tested the association between the consumption of oily fish and heart imaging measures. Oily fish has previously been related to a better heart health. The study showed that more oily fish consumption improved heart function and the arteries became stretchier.

The findings of this study correlate with previous observations that link red and processed meat intake with heart problems including links of the heart and structure of the vascular function. From this study it seems sensible for an individual to decrease red and processed meat consumption to keep the heart healthy.

To view the original scientific study click below:
Study strengthens links between red meat and heart disease

High Protein Diet Does Not Mean Increased Strength

A study published in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, determined that the health affects of consuming a diet that is high-protein did not affect strength or muscle mass compared to eating a moderate amount of protein while a person is training. The study which involved basic strength-training movements three times a week was conducted with people that had no prior weightlifting experience.

The participants ranged in age from 40-64 years old. The participants were assessed by the team for their strength, blood pressure, lean-body mass, and other health measures including glucose tolerance. These measures were taken before and then after the program. The diet each participant had was randomized into protein that was moderate and protein that was at a high level. Each participant ate a cooked ground beef steak and then consumed a carbohydrate beverage after each session. The participant was then sent home with a protein beverage to be consumed every evening during the 10-week program.

There were two different groups according to the amount of protein they received every day. The moderate-protein group received roughly 1.2 grams of protein per day and the high-protein group received 1.6 grams per day. These amounts were based on the kilogram of body weight each participant had. The two groups had the same amount of calories and beef tallow and dextrose were also added.

The participants did keep food diaries and they were counseled bi-weekly concerning their protein intake and eating habits.

Fecal samples were also taken at the beginning of the program to analyze gut microbes. They were then taken again during the program and again after the end of the program. It has been shown in previous studies that gut microbe composition can be altered in the digestive tract by diet or exercise alone.

It has been recommended by the American Food and Nutrition Board that adults need 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day to deter from getting a protein deficiency. It has been known that as we age, muscle mass declines, therefore, losing strength.

Both groups were supposed to limit their protein intake to the Recommended Daily Allowance. But upon reviewing their diaries, it was revealed that the moderate-protein group was getting from 1.1-1.2 grams of protein per day per kilogram of body weight and the high-protein group were getting 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This is twice the amount recommended.

At the end of the 10 week program, the researchers found no significant increase in muscle mass between the two groups. The gains both groups had were roughly the same. The only difference they saw in the two groups was that those in the high-protein group had changes in gut microbes that had been previously linked to negative health issues. They found that the beneficial gut microbes and been increased and the harmful ones had been decreased.

But overall, it was found that high protein consumption does not promote any gain in strength or body composition. Lean muscle mass was not increased any more than consuming a moderate amount of protein.

This result now puts into question whether a person needs to increase their protein intake in middle age to build strength.

To view the original scientific study click below:Higher protein intake during resistance training does not potentiate strength, but modulates gut microbiota, in middle-aged adults: a randomized control trial

New Therapy for Ringing in the Ears

Research from a clinical trial which was the largest of its kind, has shown that by combining electrical stimulation of the tongue and sound, tinnitus or “ringing in the ear” can be significantly reduced. The research also indicated that therapeutic effects could be sustained for even up to 12 months following treatment.

The research was conducted by a team of the University of Minnesota, St. James Hospital, Trinity College, University of Nottingham and University of Regensberg and an Irish medical device company.

The team’s findings can potentially provide help to millions of people around the globe. Tinnitus affects 10% to 15% of the world’s population.

The study was the longest and largest follow-up clinical trial that has ever occurred in the field of tinnitus which included a medical device with 326 enrolled participants, with providing evidence in regards to the efficacy, safety and patient tolerability of bimodal neuromodulation for treating tinnitus. Close to 86% of participants who were compliant showed improvement in symptom severity when evaluated following the 12 week period of treatment. Many additionally reported sustained benefit 12 months following treatment.

The study followed post-treatment effects of therapy for 12 months. This was the first for the field of tinnitus for evaluating outcomes long-term of an approach with a medical device.

The treatment device that was utilized in the study was developed by Neuromed Devices. It consists of Bluetooth (wireless) headphones that will deliver sequences of audio tones that are layered with wide-band noise to both ears and combines with electrical stimulation pulses that are delivered to 32 electrodes which are on the tip of the tongue. The intensity, timing and delivery of the stimuli are managed by a hand help controller that is easy for participants to use. Before beginning treatments for the first time, this device is configured to the participant’s hearing profile and then optimized to each participant’s level of sensitivity to tongue stimulation.

For the study period, the participants were given instructions to use the device for a 60 minute period each day for 12 weeks. 83.7% of the participants used their device at or even above the minimum compliance level which was 36 over the course of the 12 week study period. The primary endpoints showed that patients achieved a clinically significant and statistically reduction in the severity of their tinnitus symptoms.

Following treatment, the patients were instructed to return their device and then were assessed for up to 12 months that included three follow-up visits. A little over 66% of patients who did fill out the exit survey confirmed they did benefit from their use of the device. 77.8% reported that they would recommend the device treatment to other people suffering from tinnitus.

To view the original scientific study click below:
Bimodal neuromodulation combining sound and tongue stimulation reduces tinnitus symptoms in a large randomized clinical study

You Can Use Exercise to Lower Blood Pressure

According to the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) a person can use exercise to lower blood pressure. It explains certain exercises a person can do according to their current blood pressure level. They based their recommendations on experts in this field of study and on a thorough analysis of any current data on this subject.

It has been shown that 1 in 4 heart attacks can be attributed to high blood pressure and that in only 4 years 60% of the population will get hypertension. The article focuses on a persons starting blood pressure level not just the amount of exercise per week they get.

The recommendation analyzed the highest quality of evidence and therefore, came up with a detailed guide for people with high blood pressure, a high level of normal blood pressure and also blood pressure that is normal. The primary goal was to lower blood pressure.

The first group were people with a blood pressure level of at least 140/90 mmHg. They discovered that aerobic exercise was the best activity for this group. This includes walking, cycling, running or swimming. This exercise can have the same effect as taking a medication for antihypertension.

The second group were people with a high-normal blood pressure level of 130-139/85-89 mmHg. The best exercise for this group is dynamic resistance. This can be strength training that typically involves movement of 6 large muscle groups. These exercises can be lifting weights, performing push-ups and squats.

The third group were people with a blood pressure level of less than 130/84 mmHg, which is considered to be normal. They found out that isometric resistance exercises would be the best training. These kind of exercises involve static contraction of muscles. This could be handgrip movements. This can motivate people in this group to keep their levels down if they are at a raised risk of developing high blood pressure, which could be brought on by heredity. People that are obese or women during pregnancy can also prevent hypertension with exercise.

For these exercises to be beneficial, consistency must be maintained. For most, the effect of this exercise will last about 24 hours. A person that takes hypertension medication takes it every day so this concludes a person should be active every day.

To view the original scientific study click below:
Personalized exercise prescription in the prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension: a Consensus Document from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the ESC Council on Hypertension

Hope For Patients with Macular Degeneration

In adults 50 or older, the most frequent cause of blindness is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This condition leads to central vision loss and affects about 196 million people around the globe. Treatments can slow down the onset and even preserve some of a patient’s vision, however there is no cure.

However, recently a team at the University of Rochester made a significant breakthrough in a possible cure for AMD. A first time three-dimensional lab model that mimics the human retina part which is affected in macular degeneration.

The teams’ model combines vascular networks form patients and retinal tissue from stem cells with synthetic materials that are bio-engineered in the three-dimensional matrix. By utilizing the patient’s 3D retinal tissue, they were able to study the mechanisms that underlay what is involved in advanced neovascular macular degeneration which is the wet form of the disease. This particular form of the disease is more blinding and debilitating.

The team has also shown that we-AMD-related changes in their model might be targeted with drugs. Once they have validated the results over a larger sample, their next hope if that they could develop rational drug type therapies and possibly also test the efficacy of any specific drug to work for single patients.

The findings have helped resolve a large debate researchers have in the field who have been working on how to determine if defects in the retina alone are what is responsible for macular degeneration or if the disease is possibly due to other systemic issues such as blood supply.

The current research shows quite strongly to retinal defects being responsible and in more detail defects in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) which is a cell layer which is pigmented and feeds the retina’s photoreceptor cells.

There are two areas of the eye which are affected by AMD. This includes RPE and also beneath the RPE is an underlying system of support known as the choriocapillaris which is composed primarily of capillaries which nourish the outer retina.

Until recently, scientists have primarily relied on rat models. However, the physiology and anatomy of the rodent retina and the human retina a quite different. In order to have the entire complex which becomes affected by AMD, it was very important to the team to create an in vitro human model of the layer of choriocapllaris along with the RPE. This method allows the properties of each different cell type to be independently controlled.

The team’s lab engineered the 3D matrix so that the choriocapllaris would be placed safely and additionally oriented properly within the overall vasculature. They also facilitated adhesion of the RPE cells in the model and although small, it was an important contribution. Their three-dimensional model was vital for them to be able to describe the very amazing things they have discovered and identified through utilizing this model.

The team’s discoveries offer a potential resolution to the discourse over causes of AMD. The results have shown that RPE cell defects alone are adequate to lead to the disease. A person an have totally normal choriocapillaris, however if the RPE’s are dysfunctional they will lead to dysfunction of the choriocapillaris.

Additionally, through using samples of blood from wet AMD patients in their human retain model, the data shows for the first time that factors which are blood-driven can individually add to both the development and also the progression of the wet form of AMD.

The team’s work has succeeded in the creation of a precise human model of the choriocapillaris/RPE complex, has confirmed that RPE and mesenchymal stem cells have a role in development of the choriocapillaris layer, has mimicked the aspects of AMD in a human model, has shown an understanding of roles of the blood derived factors and specific cell types in the development of the disease, and has shown disease targeting by utilizing a drug with a patient derived cell model.

To view the original scientific study click below:
First-ever lab model of human eye offers hope for macular degeneration patients

1...363738...85Page 37 of 85