Common Food Additives Impact Health

Emulsifiers which are common ingredients found in a variety of foods have come under scrutiny for their negative impact on health. Manufacturers use emulsifiers which are chemicals to extend the shelf life of certain foods and to alter a food’s texture. They have generated quite a bit of attention lately, and studies in mice have shown they can produce both behavioral and physiological changes.

Previous studies have shown that emulsifiers have the ability to alter the microbiome of mice which causes low grade inflammation and the increased risk of metabolic disorders and obesity. A study in humans also concluded that gut bacteria are directly impacted by these common food additives which subsequently leads to intestinal inflammation.

A group of researchers at Georgia State University in Atlanta took these findings to a new level. They set out to investigate whether two of the most common emulsifiers, carboxymethylcelluose (CMC) and polysorbate-80 (P80) might also have an influence on mental well being.

Scientists have shown that there is a clear, two way connection between the gut and the brain. Gut health and the health of gut bacteria have a significant influence on mental health. A study from 2011 discovered that treating mice with Lactobacillus rhamnosus which is a type of good bacteria, led to measurable changes in the brain and reduced anxiety related behaviors.

Another study conducted on mice that had no gut bacteria, showed higher levels of anxiety type behaviors when compared with controls. A recent study showed that mice given antibiotics early in life significantly alter the microbiome, social behavior and anxiety levels in the mice long term.

The most recent study using CMC and P80 investigated whether these two emulsifiers might alter the mental state of the mice. The researchers added CMC and P80 to the drinking water of the mice for a period of 12 weeks. They then measured their behavior, any changes in their microbiome and a variety of physiological parameters. They found that the emulsifiers effects on general systemic inflammation could be extended to the brain and also to behavior.

Interestingly, they found that the two emulsifiers did impact gut bacteria but in different ways between female and male mice. And they showed the changes in behavior were also different between the two sexes.

They saw an increase in anxious behavior more prominently in the male mice. In the female mice there was reduced social behavior. It is somewhat of a mystery why the differences occur, however the scientists know there are certain differences in the way the female and male immune systems work so this might offer some answers.

The next step for the researchers is to move from the mouse model to larger animals. How the results in mice are relevant to humans is inherently difficult particularly with behavioral disorders. In recent years it has been observed that there is a rise in anxiety in Western society. At the same time, there has been a marked increase in inflammatory bowel disease which leads researchers wondering if food additives might be playing a role in these shifts.

The scientists are now investigating the mechanisms behind dietary emulsifiers impacting the intestinal microbiota in addition to the relevance to humans. Science does show that our microbiome play a significant part in our health and there is a very strong need to assess food additives on food safety.

To view the original scientific study click here: Dietary emulsifiers consumption alters anxiety-like and social-related behaviors in mice in a sex-dependent manner.

New Discovery About How Skin Ages

Dermal fibroblasts which are specialized cells that reside deep in the skin indicate how skin ages based on a study by the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. The team has discovered how our skin loses its ability to form fat during aging.

Dermal fibroblasts can convert into fat cells under the dermis which gives skin a youthful look and also produces peptides that will help fight infections. If the fibroblasts lose their ability to convert into fat, the skin is not able to fight infection effectively and the skin loses its more plump and youthful appearance.

A protein called transforming growth factor beta or TFG-B which controls many cellular functions within our body, stops dermal fibroblasts from their conversion into fat cells. It also prevents the cells from being able to produce the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin which helps protect the skin from bacterial infections.

Babies have quite a bit of this type of fat under their skin which makes their skin very good at fighting some types of infections. With aging, dermal fibroblasts lose this ability to form fat under the skin. Skin that has this layer of fat looks more youthful. With the aging process, the appearance of the skin has a lot to do with this loss of fat.

Researchers used chemical blocks to inhibit the TGF-B pathway in mice. This caused the skin to revert back to a younger function which allowed dermal fibroblasts to convert into fat cells. If they turned off the pathway in mice through genetic techniques, they had the same result.

Understanding the biological process which leads to age related loss of the specialized fat cells could be used to help our skin fight infections such as Staphylococcus aureas. This pathogenic bacteria is the main cause of infections of the heart and skin and a significant factor in worsening diseases. When this particular infection becomes antibiotic resistant it then is known as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureas which is the leading cause of infection deaths in the U.S.

The team notes that eating a high fat diet is not the path to converting the dermal fibroblasts into fat cells. Obesity will also interfere with the ability to fight infections.

The next step for the researchers is to begin studying the infant’s immune system to obtain a firmer grasp of fibroblast development. They hope the results may also help them understand what goes wrong with other diseases.

To view the original scientific study click here:
Age-Related Loss of Innate Immune Antimicrobial Function of Dermal Fat Is Mediated by Transforming Growth Factor Beta

Road Traffic Noise May Cause Significant Weight Gain

Results from a study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health have shown that people who are exposed to the highest levels of traffic noise are at an increased risk of becoming obese. Even just a 10 dB increase in mean noise levels was shown to be associated with a 17% increase in developing obesity.

The study began when the researchers wanted to confirm whether results from earlier studies demonstrated a correlation between several markers for obesity and traffic noise. The study involved 3796 adult participants in the population based Swiss SAPADIA cohort study and had also attended a minimum of two follow-up visits between years 2001 and 2011.

The study was based on objective measures including participants height, weight, waist circumference, body mass index and abdominal fat. The data was then analyzed along with estimates of exposure to traffic noise which was developed in the context of the Swiss SiRENE project.

The researchers also analyzed exposure to noise generated from railway traffic and aircraft. They did not find any significant correlation except in long term exposure to the railway noise which was not associated with obesity but was associated with an increased risk of overweight.

The design and methodology of the study were selected to allow the team to review all data from two different perspectives. Cross sectional analysis was used to examine more objective measures and to study the participant population at a specific time.

The other study, a longitudinal design, allowed the team to evaluate how the increased risk of obesity evolved over the time frame of the study. The correlations with traffic noise pollution were consistent in both studies. Overweight only correlated with exposure to noise from traffic in the cross section study. The team did not find any correlation between body mass index and noise exposure which was measured continuously throughout the longitudinal study.

This study adds additional evidence to further support the hypothesis that obesity is affected by traffic related noise. The results of this study which were obtained in a different population from earlier studies were similar. However, the team indicates that additional longitudinal studies are needed to further confirm correlation and to examine some inconsistencies with the data which prevented the team from formulating an explanation that would be accepted by the scientific community.

Repeated exposure to noise pollution is a widespread public health problem. Noise is a stress factor that contributes to communication, rest and sleep. A variety of studies have shown that noise contributes to a risk of a variety of diseases and it alters our sleep and generates stress. Hormone levels can be altered and sleep disturbances deregulate glucose metabolism and will also alter appetite. When sleep patterns are disturbed, the immune system functions can be affected along with control of appetite and expenditure of energy.

Several epidemiological and experimental studies have shown a correlation between sleep deprivation and increased risk of obesity and overweight. A potential link between long term exposure to noise and the increased risk of obesity may contribute to stress and sleep quality.

The research has shown some indication that reducing traffic related exposure to noise may be a way to combat obesity. For instance noise reducing foam can be installed in corners of rooms to absorb and decrease sound levels.

To view the original scientific study click here: Long-term exposure to road traffic noise may increase the risk of obesity.

Which is Better for Bone Health…Nutrition or Exercise?

One huge question that fitness experts and scientists are curious about is whether nutrition or exercise has the most positive impact on bone strength. Researchers at the University of Michigan set out to answer that question by looking at mineral supplementation and exercise in mice.

The research team discovered surprising results. They found that nutrition had a greater impact on strength and bone mass over exercise. Even when the exercise training was discontinued, the mice retained gains in bone strength as long as they remained on a mineral supplemented diet.

The long term mineral supplementation diet not only led to increased strength and bone mass, but the ability to maintain the increase even after training was discontinued. Although the test was conducted on mice, in regards to the progression to humans diet is much easier for people to carry on as they age and are not able to do as much exercise or any at all.

Another important finding was that diet alone has benefits on bone even without the exercise. This is another surprise as the team expected that exercise with a normal diet would result in greater gains in bone strength but that wasn’t the case. However, combining the two amplifies the gains.

The team looked at increased calcium and phosphorus and found benefits to increasing both of their supplements. This doesn’t mean that people should start buying and consuming these two supplements. The findings don’t translate directly from the mice to humans. However, it does give the researchers a conceptual place to begin.

Humans achieve peak bone mass in their early twenties with declines after that. The question now is how to maximize the amount of bone mass while young so that when the declines do begin, people are at a better place.

The team also preformed a battery of mechanical assessments on bone. Bone doesn’t always predict or scale with the mechanical quality of the bone tissue. The mice were tested after eight weeks of training plus a supplemented diet or a normal diet and then after eight weeks of no training.

Calcium is one of the major building blocks of our bone tissue, however there are many other minerals and nutrients also needed including magnesium, silicon, manganese, boron, vitamin K2, vitamin D3 and vitamin C. Some of the best bone building foods are green leafy vegetables such as kale, swiss chard, and collard greens which contain many of these nutrients.

To view the original scientific study click here: Combined mineral-supplemented diet and exercise increases bone mass and strength after eight weeks and maintains increases after eight weeks detraining in adult mice

Meditation Linked to Better Feedback

Researchers have discovered a distinct link between meditation and how people who practice it respond to feedback. The University of Surrey conducted a study that has shown that meditation adapts the brain to respond better to feedback.

The study included experienced, novice and non-meditators. All were trained to choose images associated with rewards with each pair of images containing varying probabilities of rewards. Some images resulted in a reward 80% of the time while others resulted in a reward just 20% of the time. Study participants eventually learned to choose the pairing that had the higher outcome.

The participants who meditated were much more successful in choosing the high probability pairings which indicated a tendency to learn from positive outcomes. The non-meditators who learned the pattern via low probability pairings suggested a tendency to learn from negative outcomes.

The study participants were connected to an EEG during the study. Results from the EEG showed that all three groups responded similarly to positive feedback. However, the neurological response to negative feedback was the highest in the non-meditation group which was followed by the novice group and lastly by the mediation group. The results indicate that the brains of meditators are less affected by negative feedback which may be attributed to the altered levels of dopamine resulting from meditation.

Dopamine is integral to how we learn and process information. The current study indicates that meditation may be a way to affect the levels of dopamine in the brain and how humans deal with negative and positive feedback.

Humans have been meditating for over 2000 years, however the neural mechanisms of meditation are still relatively unknown. The findings from the current study demonstrate that on a deep level people who meditate respond to feedback in a more even handed way that those who do not meditate.

Meditation can improve immune function and reduce stress. With the current study, the researchers have found that it can also impact how we receive feedback…that is if we quickly learn from mistakes or if we need to keep making them before finding the right answer. This can impact how people perform in the classroom and workplace.

To view the original scientific study click here: Meditation experience predicts negative reinforcement learning and is associated with attenuated FRN amplitude.

Maximizing Lutein from Spinach

Lutein is a potent antioxidant that offers a wide range of health benefits. It is best known for protecting the eyes and spinach along with other dark leafy vegetables contain the highest levels. Interestingly, a new study from Linkoping University, Sweden, has found that how you prepare fresh spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables can maximize lutein. Of course there are many other nutrients in natural foods that are also better preserved and absorbed using the same approach.

This study allowed the team to see what influence the level of lutein in the blood would have by increasing dietary intake of this antioxidant. The research group studied which method of spinach preparation allowed the greatest benefit of lutein maximization. Spinach was chosen as the vegetable of choice for the study because it contains comparatively high levels of lutein and is also consumed by many people.

Preparation methods that are typically used at home were used in the study. The researchers compared several temperatures and heating times along with cold preparations such as spinach in salads and in smoothies.

The research team used baby spinach from a supermarket in their study. The spinach samples which were prepared in cooked fashion were fried, steamed, and boiled for up to 90 minutes and the lutein content was measured at different times. The team also compared different heating times. Lutein like other nutrients degrades with heat.

The results shows that heating time was important when spinach is boiled. The longer the spinach is boiled the less lutein is retained. When spinach is fried at a high temperature, a large amount of lutein was degraded after just two minutes. And more lutein was lost when spinach was baked in the oven at a higher temperature than when it is cooked in a soup or stew.

The study did show that reheating spinach in the microwave actually compensated for some loss of lutein. More lutein was released from the spinach as the plant structure was further broken down by microwaving.

The best way to maximize lutein from spinach is to not heat it at all. Eating it raw in a salad or adding it to a smoothie gains the most benefits. And when spinach is chopped into small pieces and then a fat added such as a dairy product in a smoothie, more lutein is released and the fat actually increases the solubility of the lutein in the fluid.

Spinach is just one of the great sources of lutein. Other sources include kale, brussel sprouts, parsley, broccoli and peas along with orange juice, kiwi, red peppers, squash and grapes. As concluded in the above study, consuming any of the sources in their raw form gains the most benefits from lutein.

To view the original scientific study click here: Liberation of lutein from spinach: Effects of heating time, microwave-reheating and liquefaction.

A Houseplant that Cleans the Air

Pothos Ivy just got a remake and will now remove benzene and chloroform from the air around it! Researchers at the University of Washington genetically modified this common houseplant and the resulting plant can clean these two pollutants which are hazardous compounds that are too small to be trapped in HEPA air filters.

Benzene which is a component of gasoline can build up in homes when we store lawn mowers and cars in attached garages. Even burning candles produce this compound. Chloroform is present in small amounts in chlorinated water and can be released when we take showers or boil water. Both compounds have been found to be linked to cancer. They aren’t commonly talked about because previously nothing could be done about them in our homes.

The modified Pothos Ivy plants express a protein called 2E1 which will transform these compounds into molecules which the plants will then use to support their growth. The process took 2 years and while other lab plants might only take a few months to achieve the intended results, the team chose the pothos because it is a robust houseplant that grows very well under a variety of conditions.

The researchers used a protein called cytochrome P450 2E1 or 2E1 for short, which is present in all mammals including humans. This protein turns chloroform into carbon dioxide and chloride ions and turns benzene into a chemical called phenol. However, 2E1 is located in our livers and is actually turned on when we consume alcohol. It is not available to us to help us process any pollutants in the air.

The team decided to have this reaction occur outside the body in a plant which they call an example of the “green liver” concept. The p450 2E1 cytochorme was taken from rabbits. It was then introduced into the pothos ivy so that each cell would express the protein. Pothos ivy does not flower in temperate climates so the genetically modified plants would not be able to spread via pollen.

They then tested how well the modified plants could remove the two pollutants from air compared to how well normal pothos ivy would preform. Both types of plants were put in glass tubes and then either chloroform gas or benzene was added. Over the following 11 days the team tracked how the concentration of each pollutant changed in the tubes.

The concentration of chloroform gas did not change over time in the unmodified plants. But the concentration of chloroform dropped by 82 percent after three days in the modified plants. And by the sixth day was almost undetectable. The benzene concentration also decreased in the modified plants, however more slowly. By the eighth day though the benzene concentration dropped by almost 75 percent. Normal pothos ivy only broke down less than 10 percent in the first week.

The team did use much higher pollutant concentrations that would typically be found in homes so they could detect changes. They anticipate that the levels of the two pollutants would drop similarly in homes and perhaps even faster over the same time frame.

If used in the home, the plants would need to be inside an enclosure with something to move the air past the leaves such as a fan. A plant sitting in a corner will have some effect on that particular room, but without airflow it would take a longer time for a molecule on another side of the room to reach the plant. And the transgenic plant also produces a green fluorescent protein that glows under UV light. This was added to make the plant more appealing and also to make it easy to spot!

The research team is now working on increasing the plants capabilities by adding a protein which can break down another hazardous molecule found in homes which is formaldehyde. This compound is present in some wood products such as laminate flooring and cabinets and in tobacco smoke.

All these hazardous compounds are very hard to get rid of. Without proteins to break down the molecules, high energy processes would have to be used. It makes more sense, is simpler and more sustainable to put the proteins all together in a common houseplant. And 2E1 is beneficial to the plant since they use chloride ions and carbon dioxide to make their food, and they use phenol to help make components of their cell walls.

The plant may soon be available in Canada where it does not grow outside. However it does grow in southern Florida so to get approval in the United States the research team has to show that the genetically modified pothos plant is no more likely to cause problems as a weed than regular pothos. Until it is available spider plants remove many pollutants so can be used in homes to help purify the air.

To view the original scientific study click here: Greatly Enhanced Removal of Volatile Organic Carcinogens by a Genetically Modified Houseplant, Pothos Ivy (Epipremnum aureum) Expressing the Mammalian Cytochrome P450 2e1 Gene. Environmental Science & Technology, 2018; DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b04811

Turning Stem Cells into Muscle Cells

In an effort to assist people with muscle disorders, researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have engineered a new line of stem cells to study how they may be converted into muscle.

Muscle disorders which affect over 50,000 people in the United States cause muscles to deteriorate and weaken. And in very severe cases, they can involve respiratory and cardiac muscles which can lead to death. Currently there are no cures for these types of disorders.

The team engineered a new human stem cell line just for skeletal muscle. By tagging the muscle genes which are known as PAX7 and MYF5 with two fluorescent proteins, they were able to ensure the purity of the muscle stem cells. They screened several bioactive compounds in order to improve formation of muscle from stem cells. They also used color tags to observe muscle stem cell activity.

In the lab which was at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases at UT, the researchers used CRISPR/Cas9, a gene editing method, to add the fluorescent color tags to the genes.

The stem cells which were generated from the patient’s stem cells were used to generate muscle. The team’s current research provided a step by step road map to make these stem cells into muscle stem cells.

Within a culture of human tissue, the stem cells that had been modified showed promising results. Additionally they showed promise in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Compared to previous studies, the new strategy allowed more efficient and faster generation of muscle stem cells and with superior engraftment in the mice.

The team believes these muscle stem cells will be used by researchers initially to study the pathophysiology of muscular diseases and to create disease models that researchers are able to use to test promising treatments or to evaluate gene correction efficiency.

It is hoped that the cells can someday be used as a form of stem cell therapy. Our bodies our constantly replacing our skeletal muscle cells. However, muscle disorders make it difficult to replenish muscle because of the exhaustion and failure of muscle stem cells.

To view the original scientific study click here: A Myogenic Double-Reporter Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Line Allows Prospective Isolation of Skeletal Muscle Progenitors

Can Stem Cells End Back Pain?

Degeneration of the intervertebral disc is a very common problem which afflicts a large group of our population. Both neck and back pain are very often the result of progressive damage of the discs which separate our spinal vertebrae.

Healthy intervertebral discs work by absorbing stress which has occurred on the spine during movement. They then adjust our posture so we can move freely. If the discs wear out, pain develops in a variety of areas in a person’s neck and/or back.

Currently treatments for this disc degeneration have included replacing the damaged discs with new artificial ones or spinal fusion surgery. These approaches unfortunately have limited benefits because they cannot replace the full function of the discs they replace.

Now a research team at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Engineering and Applied Science are aiming to solve this problem. They are working on developing bioengineered intervertebral discs which are harvested and made out of a person’s own stem cells. Because stem cells are undifferentiated cells which have the ability to transform into specialized cells, they are the focus of a variety of medical research studies.

For the past 15 years the team at the University of Pennsylvania has been working on these new disc models beginning with lab studies, then progressing to studies on small animals, and now recently studies on large animals.

Previously the team tested the new discs which they call disc like angle ply structures (DAPS) for 5 weeks in rat tails. In the next study, the research team further developed the engineered discs. The new model called endplate modified DAPS (eDAPS)were tested in the rats once again for up to 20 weeks. The new structure allowed the disc to retain its shape better and was more easily integrated in the surrounding tissue.

Several tests were run which included MRI scans and a variety of in depth tissue and mechanical analysis. The team discovered that in the rat model the eDAPS effectively restored the original disc function and structure.

With this success, the team was motivated to study eDAPS in goats. They proceeded to implant the device within the cervical spines of some of the goats. Goats were chosen for the study because the cervical spine discs of these animals have similar dimensions of those in humans. Goats also have semi upright stature which allowed the team to bring this study one step closer to conducting human trials.

The teams tests on goats proved to be successful. The eDAPS integrated quite well with the surrounding tissue. Additionally, the mechanic function of the discs either matched or surpassed that of the original cervical discs of the goats.

The next step will involve conducting more extensive trials on goats which will help the scientists to better understand how well eDAPS works. The team then plans to test eDAPS in human models of intervertebral disc degeneration which hopefully gets them one step closer to conducting clinical trials.

Implanting a device made of a person’s own cells is highly desirable. Using a true tissue engineered motion preserving replacement device in arthroplasty is something that has not been done yet in orthopedics. It would certainly be a large shift in treating spinal diseases and how surgeons approach motion sparing reconstruction of joints.

To view the original scientific study click here: watch-these-tissue-engineered-spinal-disks-mimic-real-thing

Breathe through the Nose to Improve Memory

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have discovered that when we breathe through our nose rather than our mouth we are able to consolidate memories better. How breathing affects the brain has become a popular field of study in recent years and with new methodologies, more studies have been enabled.

The recent study in Sweden shows that people remember better when they breathe through their nose while the memory is being consolidated which is the process that happens between learning something and then memory retrieval. This is the first study that demonstrated this. The reason this phenomenon had not been studied earlier is that the common laboratory animals such as mice and rats do not breathe naturally through their mouths.

Memories go through 3 stages in their development. Encoding occurs first, then consolidation and finally retrieval. By breathing through the nose rather than the mouth during consolidation this enhances recognition memory. Nasal respiration is very important during the critical period where memories are activated and then strengthened. And it also suggests that the neural mechanisms which are responsible may emerge through nasal respiration.

For the study the team had the 24 Swedish participants learn twelve different smells occurring on two different occasions. Six fragrances were familiar such as strawberry and six were unfamiliar smells like pungent alcoholic scent 1 butanol.

The participants were then instructed to either breathe through their mouths or noses for one hour. When the hour was up, the participants were presented with the old set of smells along with the new set of twelve smells which also were six familiar smells and six unfamiliar smells. They were then asked if each one was from the learning session or new.

The findings indicated that when the participants breathed through their noses between the learning time and then the recognition, they remembered the smells much better. Those who breathed through their nose were twice as successful at recognizing whether the smells were old or new.

Previous research has indicated that receptors in the olfactory bulb detect not just smells but also variations in the airflow. Different parts of the brain will be activated in different phases of exhalation and inhalation. How the synchronization of brain activity and breathing happens and how that affects the brain and, subsequently our behavior, is unknown.

Growing evidence from human and animal studies indicates that respiration plays an important role in the neural and behavioral mechanisms associated with encoding and recognition. Nasal but not mouth respiration entrains neural oscillations that enhance the encoding and recognition processes and also the consolidation stage.

Smells are first processed by the olfactory bulb in mammals. This starts inside the nose and runs along the bottom of the brain. This has a direct connection to two areas of the brain that are strongly involved in memory…the hippocampus. Hippocampal rhythms are involved in the transfer of information between sensory and memory networks. With humans, bypassing nasal airflow by breathing through the mouth abolishes the rhythms and affects encoding as well as the recognition processes which reduces memory performance.

The concept that breathing affects our behavior is not new. The evidence has been around for thousands of years in areas such as meditation. However, no one has been able to scientifically prove what actually does go on in the brain. Researchers have tools now that can help reveal new clinical knowledge.

The next step for the team is to measure what really happens in the brain while breathing and how it is linked to memory. Previously it was not practical to measure this, however now the team has developed a new method of measuring activity in the brain and olfactory bulb that is non-invasive.

To view the original scientific study click here: Respiration modulates olfactory memory consolidation in humans.

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