Pernicious Anemia – Caused by Vitamin B12 Deficiency

There are many articles found on the Internet regarding the importance of vitamin b12. Articles on the affects of vitamin b12 deficiency are even more readily found. I’ve compiled a few of the articles I’ve found while searching Google for "vitamin b12 deficiency." Some of these articles are listed below.

During my search, I’ve yet to find an article that says vitamin b12 is not an important vitamin. All of the articles I’ve read during my searches have stated the seriousness of a deficiency of vitamin b12. Before we get into the articles lets take a look at some of the vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms.

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, like those of many other treatable health conditions, can be virtually identical to age dementia symptoms, senile dementia symptoms and Alzheimer symptoms. As many as 20% of people over age 65 have low Vitamin B12 levels. Correcting the deficiency can help older people resume a full and normal lives.

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include:

• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea
• Numbness and tingling of hands and feet
• Paleness
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Sore mouth and tongue
• Confusion or change in mental status in severe or advanced cases. This is sometimes confused with dementia. More importantly, even a moderate deficiency of this important vitamin and its counterpart, folic acid, may ultimate contribute to the onset of Alzheimer disease or other related dementia.

The absorption of dietary vitamin B12 occurs in the small intestine and requires a secretion from the stomach known as intrinsic factor. If intrinsic factor is deficient, absorption of vitamin B12 is severely diminished. Vitamin B12 deficiency impairs the body’s ability to make blood, accelerates blood cell destruction, and damages the nervous system. The result is pernicious anemia (PA).[1]

Pernicious anemia (per-NISH-us uh-NEE-me-uh) is a condition in which the body does not make enough red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12 in the body. It usually occurs in people whose bodies have lost the ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food.[2]

Low stomach acid, known as hypochlorhydria, interferes with the absorption of B12 from food but not from supplements. Aging is associated with a decrease in the normal secretion of stomach acid. As a result, some older people with normal levels of intrinsic factor and with no clear cause for malabsorption will become vitamin B12-deficient unless they take at least a few micrograms per day of vitamin B12 from supplements.

From U.S. Army Health Clinic, Darmstadt, Germany.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency is a common cause of macrocytic anemia and has been implicated in a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. The role of B12 deficiency in hyperhomocysteinemia and the promotion of atherosclerosis is only now being explored. Diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency is typically based on measurement of serum vitamin B12 levels; however, about 50 percent of patients with subclinical disease have normal B12 levels. A more sensitive method of screening for vitamin B12 deficiency is measurement of serum methylmalonic acid and homocysteine levels, which are increased early in vitamin B12 deficiency. Use of the Schilling test for detection of pernicious anemia has been supplanted for the most part by serologic testing for parietal cell and intrinsic factor antibodies. Contrary to prevailing medical practice, studies show that supplementation with oral vitamin B12 is a safe and effective treatment for the B12 deficiency state. Even when intrinsic factor is not present to aid in the absorption of vitamin B12 (pernicious anemia) or in other diseases that affect the usual absorption sites in the terminal ileum, oral therapy remains effective.[3]

From the Department of Internal Medicine, New York University School of Medicine.

Recent evidence suggests that vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly is more than classic pernicious anemia. Instead, it is a continuum from negative B12 balance to frank deficiency, which can be detected by low serum B12 levels long before changes occur in hemoglobin levels. Current findings in the literature suggest that subtle B12 deficiency is indeed clinically significant. Treatment may prevent significant neurologic and/or hematologic disease.[4]

From the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria.

Low serum vitamin B12 levels are not uncommon in the elderly. Patients with vitamin B12 deficiency manifest a spectrum of clinical findings. Pernicious anemia and malabsorption syndrome are the usual causes of vitamin B12 deficiency. Pernicious anemia is confirmed by the presence of intrinsic factor blocking antibody or abnormal results on the Schilling test. Patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency may have a normal Schilling test and no evidence of macrocytic anemia. In such patients, vitamin B12 deficiency is confirmed by determining serum levels of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid.[5]

From all of my research, pernicious anemia is usually easy to treat with vitamin B12 supplements or shots, although some people develop permanent nerve damage before they find out they have the disease and get treatment. Since pernicious anemia does increase the risk of developing stomach cancer, doctors may do periodic cancer tests to check for it. Overall, however, people with pernicious anemia who get proper lifelong treatment can have a normal life span.

I’m not a doctor or even a healthcare professional, but I am a thinker and I do a lot of research. Because of my age, I’m trying to prevent issues that may arise as a result of the aging process. With that in mind, I’ve taken the initiative to research pernicious anemia, a fairly common condition in the aging process.

If you or someone you know is affected by this condition, spend some time doing the research on your own. There are many b12 supplements, but not many have the same patented delivery system as TriVita’s® Sublingual Vitamin B12, a safe and effective means of getting vitamin b12 into your body. You can learn more about Vitamin B12 Deficiency by clicking on the previous link.

REFERENCES:

[1] https://www.publix.com/wellness/notes/Display.do?id=Concern&childId=Vitamin_B12_Deficiency

[2] https://www.medicinenet.com/pernicious_anemia/article.htm

[3] PMID: 12643357 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE], https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12643357?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=2&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed

[4] PMID: 2680773 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE], https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2680773?ordinalpos=16&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

[5]PMID: 2278533 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE], https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2278533?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

pernicious anemia

After further review and research, vitamin b12 is an important nutrient to help in the prevention of several diseases.

Pernicious anemia is a decrease in red blood cells that occurs when the body cannot properly absorb vitamin B12 from the gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the formation of red blood cells.

Pernicious anemia is caused by a lack of intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is a protein produced by the stomach that helps the body absorb vitamin B12. When stomach does not have enough intrinsic factor, it cannot properly absorb the vitamin. Nerve and blood cells need vitamin B12 to function properly.

Jeffrey Sloe

Breastfeeding Supports Healthy Brains for Babies – and Moms

The key is seafood for Mom, to replenish vital stores of DHA and other nutrients for her and her new child.

10/12/2020       By Eliza Leggatt

In 2008, I was nursing a broken heart – and a newborn baby. The joy of my firstborn’s arrival was overshadowed by the abrupt hormonal postpartum crash and some challenging personal issues in my life. It felt almost unbearable at times. We made it through that tough time together, thanks to supportive parents, a great pediatrician, and especially, breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is the single most beneficial gift any mother can give her child to impact their health, but amazingly, research shows the benefits for moms who are able to breastfeed are both immediate and long-lasting.

I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but breastfeeding my new baby was helping me as much as it was helping her. Studies indicate not only that breastfeeding mothers typically experience lower levels of depressive symptoms (Hahn-Holbrook, 2013) but oxytocin release during lactation can help regulate blood pressure, lower stress, and decrease levels of cortisol, sometimes called the “stress hormone” (Handlin, 2009).

Human breast milk is a marvel; a dynamic, medicinal food that is created and distinctly “personalized” for their infants by mothers at the most intimate and individual level. Its composition varies almost constantly, changing from feed to feed and even within feedings, according to and perhaps even influencing circadian rhythms of both mother and child (Sánchez et al., 2013).

Teeming with thousands of diverse bioactive molecules that offer protection against infection and inflammation, mother’s milk begins laying the foundation for a baby’s lifelong immune response. It starts and begins to form the immune system, develops internal organs, and jump-starts healthy microbial colonization of the newborn baby’s mostly sterile gut (Yu et al., 2018).

In recent years, the indispensable role of DHA, the brain’s main structural fat, has been increasingly understood to not only impact infant brain growth, but a new mother’s mental state as well. And while I was nursing that little baby, I was giving away that “superfat” and in desperate need of replenishment. My baby, like all babies, was completely dependent on me for the DHA that would help to grow her amazing brain.

Brain Growth Spurt

The growth of the new baby’s brain is occurring at an astonishing rate of one percent a day; the cerebellum has doubled by the time the baby is 90 days old (Holland, 2014). At birth, the newborn brain is already 25 percent of its adult weight. By age 2, it will reach over 75 percent of its adult weight (Dekaban, 1978).

During this short window of unparalleled cerebral growth, nourishing a baby’s brain is perhaps the most important work of breastfeeding. Babies are entirely dependent upon their mothers for omega-3 DHA, the primary structural fat of the brain whose critical role facilitates every neuronal function.

Lifelong benefits that breastfeeding also confers to mothers, such as a reduction in breast cancer risk (Bernier, 2000) are often noted, yet the needs of mothers during this pivotal time do not receive nearly enough attention. An abrupt shift occurs almost immediately after birth – just as the focus of the mother has shifted to her newly arrived child, so has everyone else’s.

Read the complete article, and see all the informational sources on the VitalChoice website.

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Article reposted on Markethive by Jeffrey Sloe

Jeffrey Sloe

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 AZD7442 Antibodies Advance Into 2 Phase III Trials; Gets $486 Mln U.S. Fund

By RTTNews Staff Writer | Published: 10/12/2020 2:40 AM ET

AstraZeneca Plc. (AZN.L,AZN) announced Monday that its long-acting antibody or LAAB combination, AZD7442, will advance into two Phase III clinical trials for the prevention of COVID-19.

Further, the company said it has received support of around $486 million from the US Government for the development and supply of AZD7442. The US Government funding is for the development and supply of up to 100,000 doses starting towards the end of 2020. The US Government can acquire up to an additional one million doses in 2021 under a separate agreement.

The funding is received under an agreement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority or BARDA, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.

AZD7442 is a combination of two LAABs derived from convalescent patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection. It was discovered by Vanderbilt University Medical Center and licensed to AstraZeneca in June 2020.

The LAABs have been engineered with AstraZeneca’s proprietary half-life extension technology to increase the durability of the therapy for six to 12 months following a single administration. The combination of two LAABs is also designed to reduce the risk of resistance developed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The company noted that the two trials will enrol over 6,000 adults for the prevention of COVID-19 at sites in and outside the US that are due to begin in the next weeks.

one trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of AZD7442 to prevent infection for up to 12 months, in approximately 5,000 participants. The second trial will evaluate post-exposure prophylaxis and pre-emptive treatment in approximately 1,100 participants.

AstraZeneca is planning additional trials to evaluate AZD7442 in approximately 4,000 patients for the treatment of COVID-19. The additional trials will enroll around 4,000 adults for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

AstraZeneca said the agreement is not anticipated to impact its financial guidance for 2020 as the US Government funding is being offset by expenses to progress the clinical trials of AZD7442 as well as manufacturing process and upscaling costs.

Should the Phase III trials prove successful and AZD7442 become an approved medicine, the Company anticipates providing the medicine at commercial terms during and after the current coronavirus pandemic.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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Article written by an RTT News Staff Writer, and posted on the RTT News.com website.

Article reposted on Markethive by Jeffrey Sloe

Jeffrey Sloe

Adult Obesity Increasing; Worsens Outcomes From COVID-19: CDC

By RTTNews Staff Writer | Published: 9/18/2020 10:51 AM ET

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, show that adult obesity is increasing in the United States, and obese individuals are at heightened risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.

The phenomenon remains high in 12 states, according to the 2019 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia have an adult obesity prevalence at a rate of 35 percent or above. This is up from nine states in 2018 and six states in 2017.

Combined data from 2017-2019 show notable racial and ethnic disparities persist in adult obesity.

34 states and the District of Columbia had an obesity prevalence of 35 percent or higher among non-Hispanic Black adults.

In addition to the maps, CDC has released a summary statement on obesity and race and ethnicity as related to COVID-19 risk.

The pandemic has increased the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death among obese people, it says.

Being obese may triple the risk of hospitalization due to a COVID-19 infection. It has been found that obesity is linked to impaired immune function.

Obesity decreases lung capacity and reserve and can make ventilation more difficult.

It has also been found that the risk of death from COVID-19 increases with a rise in BMI (Body mass index).

Studies have demonstrated that obesity may be linked to lower vaccine responses for numerous diseases.

Obesity disproportionately impacts some racial and ethnic minority groups who are also at increased risk of contracting COVID-19.

The report recommends that being active and eating a healthy diet can support optimal immune function and help prevent or manage chronic diseases that worsen outcomes from COVID-19.

These actions, as well as getting enough sleep and finding healthy ways to cope with stress are found to be helping with weight maintenance and improve overall health.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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Article written by an RTT News Staff Writer, and posted on the RTT News.com website.

Article reposted on Markethive by Jeffrey Sloe

Jeffrey Sloe

Acella Pharma Recalls Thyroid Drugs For Sub Potency

By RTTNews Staff Writer | Published: 9/18/2020 8:53 AM ET

Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC recalled certain lots of hypothyroidism medication NP Thyroid in the form of tablets due to super potency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

The company is recalling one lot of 15-mg and one lot of 120-mg of NP Thyroid that are packaged in 100 count bottles in strengths of 15 mg, and 120 mg, with expiration dates between October 2020, and November 2020. The drug is originally intended to treat an underactive thyroid.

According to the company, the product may have as low as 87 percent of the labeled amount of Liothyronine (T4), it added.

NP Thyroid is composed of levothyroxine and liothyronine and used to treat hypothyroidism. These lots were distributed across the U.S. to Acella's direct accounts, including wholesalers, pharmacies, and healthcare offices.

Acella noted that if patients are treated for hypothyroidism with these sub potent NP Thyroid tablets, they may experience signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including swelling of the thyroid gland or weight gain, fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, puffy face, hair loss, slow heart rate and depression.

Newborn infants or pregnant women who take sub potent NP Thyroid also may experience early miscarriage, fetal hyperthyroidism, and/or impairments to fetal neural and skeletal development.

Acella said it has received four reports of adverse events until date related to the recalled products.

"Patients who are currently taking NP Thyroid from the lots being recalled should not discontinue use without contacting their healthcare provider for further guidance and/or a replacement prescription," the company added.

In May, Acella Pharmaceuticals had recalled 13 lots of hypothyroidism medication NP Thyroid in the form of tablets due to super potency.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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Article written by an RTT News Staff Writer, and posted on the RTT News.com website.

Article reposted on Markethive by Jeffrey Sloe

Jeffrey Sloe

Eating Fish May Protect Our Brains From Air Pollution

Microscopic particles of air pollution can damage brain cells. Omega-3s could act as a shield.

September 7, 2020     By Nathaniel Scharping

Air pollution is a constant companion in modern society, often even for those of us living outside cities. And it's taking a toll on our health in the form of heart, lung and brain problems. Simply put, the more air pollution you're around, the more likely you are to die earlier (Pope, 2000).

Air pollution may be inescapable, but there's hope. A new study shows that people who eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids seem to be shielded from brain degeneration, even when they live in areas with high levels of air pollution (Chen et al., 2020).

The study, from researchers at Columbia University's Irving Medical Center, backs up years of prior research on omega-3s and the brain. Not only are the fatty acids crucial to developing and maintaining healthy brain cells, they likely also serve to protect them as well.

No Escape From Air Pollution

Even in places where the air isn't visibly dirty, pollution can be an issue. For their study, the researchers focused on particulate matter, a type of air pollution made up of microscopic particles and droplets such as smoke, soot and dust.

Particulate matter has many sources: vehicles, factories, agriculture, and even some natural processes. Wildfires are also potent producers, as millions of Californians were reminded this summer (Thurston et al., 2011).

So, while levels of particulate matter are falling on average nationwide, air pollution is still a serious problem in some areas of the U.S. Scientists classify most particulate matter air pollution into two categories:

• 10 micrograms (or ten millionths of a gram) or smaller, known as PM10. Typical sources include construction-site dust, pollen, and wildfire smoke.
• 5 micrograms or smaller, dubbed PM2.5. These are more likely to come from human-technology sources, especially vehicles.

Both classes are harmful to humans, but the smaller PM2.5 particles can penetrate deeper into the lungs when inhaled, making them potentially more dangerous. And for years, studies have pointed out the myriad health issues that these particles cause. Higher levels of airborne particulate matter are associated with heart and lung problems, as well as with premature deaths in general (Pope, 2000). High PM2.5 levels have also been linked to a number of brain issues, including inflammation and decreases in brain volume among older adults (Wilker et al., 2015).

This kind of brain damage can be a marker for cognitive decline in the elderly, and it can be difficult to recover from. That makes it crucial to prevent damage before it happens.

A Link Between Brain Health and Seafood

For this latest research, the scientists looked at data from a large study conducted between 1996 and 2006 called the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (WHIMS-MRI). It included over 1,300 healthy women between the ages of 65 and 80 who agreed to MRI scans of their brains, and who answered a battery of questions about their lifestyles, diets and more. The researchers also collected blood samples to measure levels of two important omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, in the women's bodies.

Then, the researchers used national data on air quality from the Environmental Protection Agency to track each participant's exposure to PM2.5 air pollution. With that data in hand, they could cross-reference three key things: air pollution exposure, brain health and omega-3 intake.

After accounting for a variety of factors, the researchers saw two clear trends. Women who were exposed to more air pollution had lost greater amounts of white matter in their brains, as well as brain volume in the hippocampus. But those with a diet that was rich in seafood — and therefore included plentiful omega-3s — had no such brain loss, even when they were exposed to air pollution.

The takeaway was that omega-3 fatty acids are likely to protect against the neurodegenerative effects of air pollution (Chen et al., 2020).

How Omega-3s Protect Our Brains

The researchers propose a few ways that omega-3s might help shield our brain health from particulate matter pollution. Omega-3s help protect and repair the protective myelin sheaths that shield our nerves and brain cells, keeping neurons intact and healthy. The fatty acids also help tamp down inflammation in our brains and bodies, preventing damage to cells (Chen et al., 2020).

The researchers say the effects they saw represent only a correlation, not causation. So, while people who ate more omega-3s were also protected from pollution, they couldn't show a direct cause-and-effect relationship. In addition, their study looked only at older women, so future research could better assess how omega-3s may shield other populations.

Still, scientists have been discovering associations between omega-3s and brain health for years. There’s enough evidence that even healthcare providers consistently recommend we get enough of the fatty acids in our diets.

Of course, omega-3s are good for us for many other reasons as well. They’re crucial building blocks for brain cells, and the fatty acids help keep our brains in top shape as we get older. Protecting us from air pollution is simply one more beneficial effect.

You can make sure your diet has enough omega-3s in it simply by consuming a few servings of seafood every week. Fish and other seafood, like Vital Choice’s wild-caught salmon, are the richest dietary sources of EPA and DHA, and they deliver a liberal helping of other essential nutrients as well, from vitamin D to antioxidants. An Alaskan sockeye fillet comes packed with almost 600 milligrams of EPA and over 1100 grams of DHA per serving.

In our dusty, smoggy, smoky world, these are nutrients that our beleaguered brains truly need.

Sources:

C. Arden Pope III (2000) Review: Epidemiological Basis for Particulate Air Pollution Health Standards, Aerosol Science & Technology, 32:1, 4-14, DOI:10.1080/027868200303885

Chen C, Xun P, Kaufman JD, et al. Erythrocyte omega-3 index, ambient fine particle exposure, and brain aging. Neurology. 2020;95(8):e995-e1007. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000010074

DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH. Importance of maintaining a low omega–6/omega–3 ratio for reducing inflammation. Open Heart. 2018;5(2):e000946. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000946

Thurston GD, Ito K, Lall R. A source apportionment of U.S. fine particulate matter air pollution. Atmospheric Environment. 2011;45(24):3924-3936. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.04.070

Wilker EH, Preis SR, Beiser AS, et al. Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter, Residential Proximity to Major Roads and Measures of Brain Structure. Stroke. 2015;46(5):1161-1166. doi:10.1161/strokeaha.114.008348

Witte AV, Kerti L, Hermannstädter HM, et al. Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Brain Function and Structure in Older Adults. Cerebral Cortex. 2013;24(11):3059-3068. doi:10.1093/cercor/bht163

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The original article written by Nathaniel Scharping and posted on VitalChoice.com.

Article reposted on Markethive by Jeffrey Sloe

Jeffrey Sloe

Mediterranean Diet Yields Gut-Linked Health Lifts

Clinical study sees immune, brain, bone boosts from gut biome benefits

02/24/2020   By Craig Weatherby

People across the globe are projected to live longer than ever before.

So, it’s important to find ways of lengthening their “healthspan” — in other words, to help people maintain good health throughout their lifespan.

Exercise and diet are key to healthy aging, but researchers have begun to look at the role played by people’s gut microbiomes.

Now, the encouraging results of a clinical trial show that closely following a Mediterranean-style diet changes the microbiome in ways that should promote wellness and healthier aging.

Specifically, the Mediterranean diet change people’s biomes in ways previously linked to reduced risk for frailty and to better thinking, memory, immunity, and bone strength.

Before we get to the intriguing results of this Europe-based trial, let’s quickly review what the microbiome is all about.

A briefer on the microbiome
The microbiome of an organ such as the skin or gut is the community of trillions of microbes that live within it.

Although these terms are often used interchangeably, a person’s gut microbiome is the genomes (e.g., DNA) of all the microorganisms living in their intestines, while their gut microbiota is the roster of microbes — mostly bacteria, viruses, and fungi — dwelling there.

Most of the microbes in your gut are either harmless or they benefit us by producing vitamins and fibrous, metabolically beneficial compounds like inulin, arabinoxylan, and resistant starch — while helping keep unfriendly microbes from becoming problematic.

The makeup of your microbiome is partly influenced by your personal genetics, and changes constantly in response to diet, physical activity, inflammation, medications, and more.

In addition to a person’s genetics diet, and lifestyle, the composition of their microbiome can either help prevent or promote physical disorders like diabetes and obesity as well as anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.

Accordingly, an international team — led by Prof. Paul O’Toole of Ireland’s University College Cork — wanted to see if diet can make microbiome changes known to discourage chronic disease and promote healthy aging (Ghosh TS et al. 2020).

“Mediterranean microbiome” exerted healthful effects
For their year-long study, the international team recruited 612 people aged 65-79 — including 286 men and 326 women — living in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Poland.

The scientists randomly assigned the participants to one of two groups:

• Maintain their usual diet.
• Switch to a Mediterranean diet (MD), which meant eating more vegetables, beans, lentils, fruits, nuts, olive oil, and fish, but less red meat, dairy, and saturated fats (e.g., butter).

After one year, people in the Mediterranean diet group displayed microbiome changes linked to better cognitive function [thinking/memory], less inflammation, better bone strength, and reduced risk of frailty.

Overall, the Mediterranean diet group enjoyed several benefits:

• Greater microbial diversity (more species — a good thing).
• Fewer pro-inflammatory compounds produced in the body.
• More microbes linked to sharper thinking and better memory.
• More microbes linked to signs of reduced frailty, such as faster walking speeds and stronger hand grips.

At the outset of the study, many of the participants were considered pre-frail — meaning their bone strength and density would likely start decreasing.

And people in the Mediterranean diet group showed fewer signs of risk for frailty while those assigned to the regular-diet group showed more microbiome-related signs of risk for frailty.

What changed in the microbiomes of the Mediterranean diet group?
At the outset of the 12-month trial, the participants’ microbiomes varied by country, but one year later the microbiomes of the Mediterranean diet (MD) group had undergone significant changes:

• More “MD-positive” microbes — in other words, ones that flourished on the diet.
• Fewer “MD-negative” microbes, which either didn’t flourish on the diet and/or couldn’t compete with the MD-positive microbes.

Critically, the MD-positive microbes were types previously linked to less frailty and inflammation, and higher levels of cognitive (thinking/memory) function — benefits that also grew as the number of MD-negative microbes shrank.

Importantly, the extent of beneficial microbiome changes reflected how closely a person followed the Mediterranean diet — the closer their adherence, the bigger the benefits.

Why are the microbiome changes from a Mediterranean diet beneficial?
A closer look revealed that the benefits of the microbiome changes seen in the Mediterranean diet group likely stemmed from two things:

• The MD-positive microbes produce short chain fatty acids that exert effects known to benefit several body systems.
• The MD-negative microbes produce certain bile acids known to raise the risk of bowel cancer, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and cell damage.

Based on prior evidence, the beneficial microbiome changes among the Mediterranean diet group were likely caused — at least in part — by greater intakes of fiber and certain micronutrients: especially vitamins C, B1 (thiamine), B6 (pyridoxine), and B9 (folic acid), copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and magnesium.

Although the team linked negative changes in the control groups’ microbiomes to an increase in fat intake — primarily saturated and mono-unsaturated fats — relative to the Mediterranean diet group, the available evidence does not suggest that relatively high-fat diets are inherently unhealthful.

The trial’s results also showed that the microbiome changes seen in the Mediterranean group occurred regardless of a person’s age or body mass index, both of which can impact the microbiome.

Conclusions and next steps
Although the diet-driven microbiome changes seen in the Mediterranean group were relatively small, they produced big effects in just one year — and the researchers speculate that continuing the Mediterranean diet longer might further enhance the microbiome.

Future studies will need to focus on what key ingredients in a Mediterranean diet — other than the fiber and micronutrients mentioned above —were responsible for these positive microbiome changes.

Other possible microbiome-influencers in a Mediterranean-style diet include specific types of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and antioxidants.

Overall, the encouraging results of this study suggest that the closer you can stick to a Mediterranean-style diet, the more your gut microbiome will shift to a healthful, anti-aging mode.

They also suggest that you don’t necessarily need probiotic supplements to make significant, beneficial changes in your gut — ones likely to benefit mind and body alike.

Sources

• De Filippis F, Pellegrini N, Vannini L, Jeffery IB, La Storia A, Laghi L, Serrazanetti DI, Di Cagno R, Ferrocino I, Lazzi C, Turroni S, Cocolin L, Brigidi P, Neviani E, Gobbetti M, O’Toole PW, Ercolini D. High-level adherence to a Mediterranean diet beneficially impacts the gut microbiota and associated metabolome. Gut. 2016 Nov;65(11):1812-1821. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2015-309957. Epub 2015 Sep 28.
• Ghosh TS et al. Mediterranean diet intervention alters the gut microbiome in older people reducing frailty and improving health status: the NU-AGE 1-year dietary intervention across five European countries. Gut. 2020 Feb 17. pii: gutjnl-2019-319654. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319654. [Epub ahead of print]

Original article posted on the VitalChoice.com site, by Craig Weatherby.

Article re-posted on Markethive by Jeffrey Sloe

Jeffrey Sloe

Do Brains Shrink as Bellies Grow?

Emerging evidence may provide another reason to fight midriff fat

02/25/2019  :   By Craig Weatherby

Brain shrinkage is linked to alcoholism, aging, dementia, and chronic stress.

And the brain effects of chronic stress degrade mental performance and emotional health alike.

Stress stimulates release of the hormone cortisol, chronically high levels of which shrink key brain areas, while severe, chronic stress can even kill brain cells.

One of the key brain areas effected most by stress and accompanying cortisol elevation is the hippocampus, which is critical to memory functions.

Chronic stress also affects the structure of the amygdala — an area of the brain that’s key to emotions — in ways that tend to promote anxiety.

In addition to aging, alcohol consumption, and stress, diet, exercise, and the composition of your gut microbiome can influence brain volume and performance.

Examples of foods and experiences that can help normalize cortisol levels include black tea, fish, seafood-source omega-3 fatty acids, music, massage, meditation, sex, crying, and laughing.

For more about the effects of fish and their omega-3s on cortisol levels and brain volume, see Fish Changes Brains for the Better, Omega-3s May Slow Brain Shrinkage, Omega-3s May Expand, Sharpen Brains, Fish Oil Aided Size and Health of Aging Brains, and Brain Benefits of Fish Bolstered by MRI Study.

Previous research linked excess belly fat to brain shrinkage — and the results of a recent British study reinforce those concerns.

This is just an excerpt from the article. To read the complete article click on Do Brains Shrink as Bellies Grow?

Interested in purchasing, or learning more about, Omega-3 fatty acid supplements, click on this link.

Article posted on Markethive by Jeffrey Sloe.

Jeffrey Sloe

How Best to Fuel Your Body After a Workout

Posted 8/6/2018 by UHBlog

Learn how to recover from a hard workout by fueling your body correctly. We can help.

All athletes know two things to be true: There’s nothing better than a post-workout high, and, after you sweat, you’re ready for a good meal.

If you want to make the most of your time off the field, your game plan should include high-performance foods, says registered dietitian nutritionist and board-certified sports dietitian Amy Jamieson-Petonic.
 

“Post-game nutrition promotes recovery and your ability to get back in the game faster,” she says.

Fuel Up First

First, you want to make sure your body is fueled for the workout.

“The goals of a pre-event meal are to top off your glycogen stores and to build and repair muscle tissue, Ms. Jamieson-Petonic says. “Make sure these meals are low in fat and fiber so you don’t have gastrointestinal distress.”

The meal should be eaten three to four hours prior to your activity. Then, 30 to 60 minutes before the event, have a lighter snack, such as a piece of fruit or sports bar and a sports drink or water.

Eat to Replenish

After the workout, your nutritional recovery should happen within 15 to 60 minutes post-exercise. Keep in mind the following steps:

1. Restore fluids and electrolytes.
2. Replace muscle fuel (meaning carbohydrates).
3. Provide protein to repair/stimulate new tissue development.

“During exercise, you lose nutrients and fluid, so it’s important to replace them,” Ms. Jamieson-Petonic says. “Make sure to take in fluid and eat approximately 200 to 300 calories within the first two hours following exercise, and then continue to refuel from there.”

Some ideas of appropriate recovery meals include:

• Graham crackers with peanut butter, a banana, and low-fat chocolate milk
• Rice bowl with beans, cheese, salsa, avocado and whole-wheat tortilla chips
• Whole-wheat pita with turkey, veggies, pretzels and low-fat milk
• Stir fry with lean steak, broccoli, peppers, carrots and brown rice

Amy Jamieson-Petonic, M.Ed., RDN, CSSD, LD is a registered dietitian nutritionist and board-certified sports dietitian at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. You can request an appointment with Jamieson-Petonic or any other healthcare professional online.

The article was posted on the University Hospitals Blog

Markethive Blog Blog post by Jeffrey Sloe 

NOTE: My personal comments: I don't always have the time and/or the proper groceries in the house, so it's not always easy to prepare and eat a recovery meal. However, I always have a supply of Essential Ammino Acids supplements, which helps me to maintain my strength, alnog with the repairing and building of muscle tissue.

Jeffrey Sloe