I am very grateful I got the vaccine December 28th. I hope you do when it is available to you. If you are still undecided or downright against it, think about it this way: Does the vaccine threaten your life more than the virus does?
Hugo Rodier, MD
Does intestinal dysbiosis contribute to an aberrant inflammatory response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in frail patients?
J. Nutrition 2020;79:110996
“In a few months, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has become the main health problem worldwide. Epidemiologic studies revealed that populations have different vulnerabilities to SARS-CoV-2. Severe outcomes of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with an increased risk of death are observed in patients with metabolic syndrome, as well as diabetic and heart conditions (frail population). Excessive proinflammatory cytokine storm could be the main cause of increased vulnerability in this frail population. In patients with diabetes and/or heart disease, a low inflammatory state is often associated with gut dysbiosis. The increase amount of microbial metabolites (i.e., trimethylamine N-oxide and lipopolysaccharide), which generate an inflammatory microenvironment, is probably associated with an improved risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Nutritional interventions aimed at restoring the gut microbial balance could represent preventive strategies to protect the frail population from COVID-19. This narrative review presents the possible molecular mechanisms by which intestinal dysbiosis that enhances the inflammatory state could promote the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
Comment: this article and the one below highlights the fact that our gut bacteria is 2/3 of our immune system. In this issue you will also see that our gut flora influences your moods and brain function.
Commensal Microbiota Modulation of Natural Resistance to Virus Infection.
J. Cell 2020;183:1312-1324
“Interferon (IFN)-Is are crucial mediators of antiviral immunity and homeostatic immune system regulation. However, the source of IFN-I signaling under homeostatic conditions is unclear. We discovered that commensal microbes regulate the IFN-I response through induction of IFN-β by colonic DCs. Moreover, the mechanism by which a specific commensal microbe induces IFN-β was identified. Outer membrane (OM)-associated glycolipids of gut commensal microbes belonging to the Bacteroidetes phylum induce expression of IFN-β. Using Bacteroides fragilis and its OM-associated polysaccharide A, we determined that IFN-β expression was induced via TLR4-TRIF signaling. Antiviral activity of this purified microbial molecule against infection with either vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) or influenza was demonstrated to be dependent on the induction of IFN-β. In a murine VSV infection model, commensal-induced IFN-β regulated natural resistance to virus infection. Due to the physiological importance of IFN-Is, discovery of an IFN-β-inducing microbial molecule represents a potential approach for the treatment of some human diseases.”
Ultraprocessed Food Again Linked to Increased CVD, Death
Fran Lowry, Medscape Medical News, December 24, 2020
“Yet another study has linked the consumption of ultraprocessed, or “junk,” foods to bad health outcomes. In a longitudinal analysis of more than 22,000 men and women from southern Italy, those who consumed the most ultraprocessed food (UPF) had the highest risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality, likely mediated through a diet high in sugar, researchers say. High consumption of UPF in this Mediterranean cohort was associated with a 58% increased risk for CVD mortality and 52% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular causes, independently of known risk factors for CVD, even among individuals who otherwise adhered to the Mediterranean diet.
The findings “should serve as an incentive for limiting consumption of UPF and encouraging natural or minimally processed foods, as several national nutritional policies recommend,” Marialaura Bonaccio, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, IRCCS NEUROMED, Pozzilli, Italy, and colleagues write. The results were published online December 18 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Earlier this year, as reported by Medscape Medical News, researchers found mounting evidence that the obesity epidemic and the increase in incidence of related chronic conditions corresponded with an increase in the intake of UPF.
A study that was conducted in a European cohort found that adults whose diet included more UPF and beverages, such as ice cream, soda, and hamburgers, were more likely to develop CVD or die sooner than others who had a more wholesome diet.
As reported previously by theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology, among adults in France who had a 10% higher intake of UPF and beverages, the rate of CVD, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease was 11% to 13% higher over a period of about 5 years. Similarly, university graduates in Spain who consumed more than four servings of UPF and beverages a day were 62% more likely to die of any cause over about a decade than those who consumed less than two servings per day.
There is very little actual food in UPF. “The NOVA classification provides 4 main classes of food and beverages, the last of which is represented by the ultra-processed food (UPF) group. This comprises products (e.g. snacks, drinks, and ready meals, ‘created mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods or derived from food constituents with little, if any intact food, which often contain flavours, colours, and other additives that imitate or intensify the sensory qualities of foods or culinary preparations made from foods,’ ” Bonaccio and colleagues write.
Such foods are very convenient, tasty, inexpensive, and have a long shelf life. They are highly competitive with foods that are naturally ready to consume and freshly prepared dishes and meals, the authors add.”
Comment: UPF compromises your microbiome. You don’t need that through the pandemic.
Dramatic Impact’ of Mindfulness on Migraine
Medscape, Pauline Anderson. December 17, 2020.
“Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may significantly reduce the negative impact of migraine, new research suggests. Results of a randomized trial show that MBSR reduced pain intensity, disability, and depression and improved quality of life. “Migraine is a severely debilitating condition and the second leading cause of disability worldwide. Recognizing and mitigating its impact on a person’s life is critical. Mindfulness may be an additional tool that helps treat the total burden of migraine,” Rebecca Erwin Wells, MD, associate professor, Department of Neurology, and founder and director, Comprehensive Headache Program, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, told Medscape Medical News. The study was published online December 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine.”
Comment: if you throw in a better diet and fix your brain-gut connection, your migraines are likely to improve or disappear.
Microplastics in the human placenta
“The Hill (12/22, Guzman) reports researchers have found “several microplastic particles…in the placentas of pregnant women for the first time.” For the study, investigators “analyzed six human placentas from healthy pregnant women in Italy to search for the presence of microplastics,” finding “12 microplastic fragments ranging from 5 to 10 micrometers in size in four of the placentas collected after the women gave birth.” The study revealed that “all the particles that were analyzed were pigmented and may have originally come from packaging.” The findings were published online ahead of print in the journal Environment International.”
Comment: why is this significant? Because plastics have an estrogen-like effect on human cells. Mother and baby are then more likely to have hormonal and metabolic problems. Don’t drink out of plastic bottles and avoid canned goods. Eat a lot of cruciferous veggies to improve your microbiome’s and liver’s detoxification function.
Psilocybin Treatment for Mental Health Gets Legal Framework
J. Scientific American December 1, 2020
“Oregon became the first state to legalize therapeutic use of the drug as new research affirms its benefits for treating depression. Johns Hopkins University researchers published results from the first randomized controlled trial of treating major depressive disorder with synthetic psilocybin. Their study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found 71 percent of patients experienced a “clinically significant response” (an improvement that lasted at least four weeks after treatment). And 54 percent met the criteria for total “remission of depression.”
Comment: I recommend magic mushrooms to patients having mood disorders. Native American churches have been using them for quite a while.
