As our lives gradually return to normalcy, we will have more opportunities to associate with loved ones. Their health and ours will thus improve. No man or woman is an island, as we are reminded by the article below. Hugo Rodier, MD
Loneliness increases cancer risk among middle-aged men
“Middle-aged men who are lonely had increased risk for cancer, regardless of the social network size, according to results of a longitudinal study published in Psychiatry Research. “Previous studies have suggested a link between psychological factors and cancer onset, as well as cancer progression… Loneliness studies are often carried out in older patients and the follow-up times are not long enough to uncover all the negative effects. In the current study we were able to observe the connection between loneliness and cancer incidence during a long follow-up time (20 years).”
Relationship between afternoon napping and cognitive function
J. General Psychiatry 2021;34:e100361.
“The positive results are associated with naps that are planned, but napping because of excess sleepiness are at higher risk for cognitive impairment and other health issues.”
Comment: choosing to lay down with a good book to relax is not the same as succumbing to fatigue induced by poor conditioning.
In utero exposure to antibiotics in babies born vaginally is associated with childhood asthma
Published online. Archives of Disease in Childhood, Feb 9 2021.
Comment: antibiotics impact the maternally-derived microbiome.
Omega-3 supplementation may slow stress-related accelerated aging
“Omega-3 supplementation may slow accelerated aging by altering the body’s response during and after a stressful event, according to study results published in Molecular Psychiatry. “With this study, we wanted to see whether omega-3 supplementation could help to block the cellular toll of short-term psychological stress,” Annelise A. Madison, MA, of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, told Healio Psychiatry. “Prior to this study, higher omega-3 levels were linked to lower inflammation and slower cellular aging, but it was unclear whether omega-3 supplementation would alter the stress reactivity of biomarkers that are important to the cellular aging process. In this randomized, controlled trial, we looked at the impact of 4 months of omega-3 supplementation on peoples’ blood levels of certain inflammatory markers, cortisol and telomerase, the enzyme that rebuilds the ends of chromosomes to ensure healthy cell division.”
Comment: a spat of recent misleading “snake oil” articles have questioned the efficacy of omega oils. Be assured that for each such article, there are dozens affirming the salutary effects of omega oils supplementation.
Eating More Fat May Boost Borderline Low Testosterone
Marlene Busko, Medscape Medical News, April 16, 2021
“Low-fat diets appear to decrease testosterone levels in men, but further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this effect,” the authors of a meta-analysis of six small intervention studies conclude. A total of 206 healthy men with normal testosterone received a high-fat diet followed by a low-fat diet (or vice versa), and their mean total testosterone levels were 10% to 15% lower (but still in the normal range) during the low-fat diet. The study is published online in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. “I think our results are consistent and fairly strong, but they are not strong enough to give blanket recommendations. However, “if somebody has low testosterone, particularly borderline, they could try increasing their fat intake, maybe on a Mediterranean diet,” and see if that works to increase their testosterone by 60 ng/dL. “A Mediterranean diet is a good way to increase ‘healthy fats,’ mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs, respectively), which will likely decrease cardiovascular disease risk, and boost testosterone at the same time.” Olive oil has been shown to boost testosterone more than butter, and it also reduces CVD, he continued. Nuts are high in “healthy fats” and consistently decrease CVD and mortality and may boost testosterone. Other sources of “good fat” in a healthy diet include avocado, and red meat and poultry in moderation. “It is controversial, but our results also indicate that foods with saturated fatty acids may boost testosterone, noting however that such foods are also associated with an increase in cholesterol.”
Comment: Plant-based oils are good for us. Oils from animals not so much, despite studies funded by the meat industry. Follow the money and see related article below.
Short-term increase in fiber alters gut microbiome
“Researchers have found that a 2-week increase in fiber intake can significantly alter a person’s gut microbiome, including increasing species of bacteria that break down fiber. However, the quantity of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) did not increase. SCFAs are the result of bacteria breaking down fiber, and they have diverse roles within the body. For instance, SCFAs are used as a source of energy for the cells of the colon and are involved in cell signaling. Some SCFAs also have anti-inflammatory properties and might influence insulin sensitivity and body weight. The research, which appears in the journal mSystems, lays the groundwork for future studies to explore in more detail the relationship between fiber intake, gut bacteria, and SCFAs.”
Gut microbes could drive brain disorders
J. Nature Feb 3 2021, Cassandra Willyard
“In 2006, soon after she launched her own laboratory, neuroscientist Jane Foster discovered something she felt sure would set her field abuzz. She and her team were working with two groups of mice: one with a healthy selection of microorganisms in their guts, and one that lacked a microbiome. They noticed that the mice without gut bacteria seemed less anxious than their healthy equivalents. When placed in a maze with some open paths and some walled-in ones, they preferred the exposed paths. The bacteria in the gut seemed to be influencing their brain and behaviour. Foster, at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, wrote up the study and submitted it for publication. It was rejected. She rewrote it and sent it out again. Rejected. “People didn’t buy it. They thought it was an artefact,” she says. Finally, after three years and seven submissions, she got an acceptance letter. John Cryan, a neuroscientist at University College Cork in Ireland, joined the field about the same time as Foster did, and knows exactly how she felt. When he began talking about the connections between bacteria living in the gut and the brain, “I felt very evangelical”, he says.
Today, however, the gut–brain axis is a feature at major neuroscience meetings, and Cryan says he is no longer “this crazy guy from Ireland”. Thousands of publications over the past decade have revealed that the trillions of bacteria in the gut could have profound effects on the brain, and might be tied to a whole host of disorders. Funders such as the US National Institutes of Health are investing millions of dollars in exploring the connection. But along with that explosion of interest has come hype. Some gut–brain researchers claim or imply causal relationships when many studies show only correlations, and shaky ones at that, says Maureen O’Malley, a philosopher at the University of Sydney in Australia who studies the field of microbiome research. “Have you found an actual cause, or have you found just another effect?”
In recent years, however, the field has made significant strides, O’Malley says. Rather than talking about the microbiome as a whole, some research teams have begun drilling down to identify specific microbes, mapping out the complex and sometimes surprising pathways that connect them to the brain. “That is what allows causal attributions to be made,” she says. Studies in mice — and preliminary work in humans — suggest that microbes can trigger or alter the course of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorder and more (see ‘Possible pathways to the brain’). Therapies aimed at tweaking the microbiome could help to prevent or treat these diseases, an idea that some researchers and companies are already testing in human clinical trials.”
Comment: mente sana in corpore sano. We should listen to ancient advice.
Associations of cereal grains intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality across 21 countries
BMJ 2021;372:m4948
“High intake of refined grains was associated with higher risk of mortality and major cardiovascular disease events. Globally, lower consumption of refined grains should be considered.”
Comment: nothing wrong with whole grains, though.
EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTIBIOTICS AS A TREATMENT OPTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CROHN’S DISEASE
J. Gastroenterology 2021;160:S9 supplement
“Crohn’s Disease (CD) is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) whose etiology has been suspected to include bacterial antigens. A treatment option, therefore, would be the usage of antibiotics. To that end, the purpose of this study was to perform a meta-analysis on the ability of antibiotics inducing remission or a favorable clinical response in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. Thirty-two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of antibiotics for treatment of CD in adults, totaling 3269 patients, were reviewed. This is an important outcome because it not only opens up a new treatment option for those suffering from Crohn’s Disease but it also leads credibility to the theory that Crohn’s is caused, at least in part, by bacteria, such as Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and adherent invasive E. coli.”
Comment: antibiotic treatment may also help IBS, the most common presentation of an unbalanced microbiome.
