In this week’s article, we provide a roundup of some of the most recent health and nutrition related articles in the news, five items comprising:
- Depression speeds up brain aging, find psychologists
- ‘Unusual’ diabetes approach: Vitamin D may boost insulin cell survival, finds study
- Are we eating at the wrong time for our body clocks?
- New study out of Poland suggests garlic extract may reduce cardiovascular risk in obese individuals
- Gut bacteria linked to risk of heart attack and stroke
Depression speeds up brain aging, find psychologists
Psychologists at the University of Sussex have found a link between depression and an acceleration of the rate at which the brain ages. Although scientists have previously reported that people with depression or anxiety have an increased risk of dementia in later life, this is the first study that provides comprehensive evidence for the effect of depression on decline in overall cognitive function (also referred to as cognitive state), in a general population.
For the study, published 24 May 2018, in the journal Psychological Medicine, researchers conducted a robust systematic review of 34 longitudinal studies, with the focus on the link between depression or anxiety and decline in cognitive function over time. Evidence from more than 71,000 participants was combined and reviewed. Including people who presented with symptoms of depression as well as those that were diagnosed as clinically depressed, the study looked at the rate of decline of overall cognitive state – encompassing memory loss, executive function (such as decision making) and information processing speed – in older adults.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
The link between diet and depression
‘Unusual’ diabetes approach: Vitamin D may boost insulin cell survival, finds study
Vitamin D appears to play a role in the preservation of the beta cells that produce, store and release the hormone insulin, opening up possibilities of harnessing this benefit to tackle type 2 diabetes, say researchers.
The discovery was made by Salk Institute researchers, who describe activation of vitamin D receptors (VDR) at enhanced levels, which appear to dampen the inflammation process – one of the triggers for the condition.
“This study started out by looking at the role of vitamin D in beta cells,” said first study author Dr Zong Wei, a research associate in Salk’s Gene Expression Laboratory.
“Studies have suggested a correlation between high vitamin D concentrations in the blood and a lower risk of diabetes, but the underlying mechanism was not well understood.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Vitamin D – functions, forms and latest research
Diabetes and insulin resistance
Are we eating at the wrong time for our body clocks?
We’ve been warned repeatedly about the health perils of being out-of-sync with our body clocks. Are we eating in the right way for these circadian rhythms, and could changing our mealtime habits boost our health and help us lose weight?
‘Breakfast like a king‘
What did you eat this morning for breakfast or lunch? The chances are it wasn’t steak and chips, chickpea curry or anything else you might normally have for dinner. Yet some scientists believe eating more of our daily calories earlier in the day – and shifting mealtimes earlier in general – could be good for our health.
One study found women who were trying to lose weight lost more when they have lunch earlier in the day, while another linked eating later breakfasts to having a high body mass index.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
‘Time Restricted Feeding’ – It’s not just what you eat, but when you eat
New study out of Poland suggests garlic extract may reduce cardiovascular risk in obese individuals
A three-month long study in Poland suggests that garlic supplementation improved some markers linked to cardiovascular risk better than a placebo.
Researchers observed that among the 88 participants who completed the study, those who ingested the garlic extract supplement had modified endothelial biomarkers – indicators associated with cardiovascular risk – by the end of the intervention period.
“This suggests that [garlic extract] can be used to suppress chronic inflammation in obese individuals,” wrote the authors, affiliated with the University of Medical Sciences in Poznan, Poland, and Rutgers University.
The main outcome the researchers analysed was the potential effects on garlic on arterial stiffness and endothelial function among participants with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Nutrient Support for Cardiovascular Health
Gut bacteria linked to risk of heart attack and stroke
A novel relationship between our gut microbiome and atherosclerosis means the bacteria in our gut could be linked to risk of heart attack and stroke, say researchers.
Writing in the journal Atherosclerosis, the team of Canadian researchers report on a link between metabolites from our gut bacteria and the development of risk atherosclerotic plaques that are a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.
Led by researchers at Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute the novel findings indicate that gut microbiomes play an important role in a person’s risk for atherosclerosis – and opens the door for new therapeutic and preventative options based on the microbiome.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Gut flora – the gatekeeper of your health?
Supporting your gut with ‘functional foods’
If you have any questions regarding the topics that have been raised, or any other health matters please do contact me (Clare) by phone or email at any time.
clare@cytoplan.co.uk, 01684 310099
Clare Daley and the Cytoplan Editorial Team
Last updated on 31st May 2018 by cytoffice
