Lower your Stress Hormone Levels with Nature

Taking a stroll or sitting in a place near nature can have some very positive benefits. The findings from a recent study have established for the first time that communing with nature will significantly lower stress hormone levels.

“Nature pills” which is what the discovery is calling the natural stress relieving remedy of being in nature, has real measurable effect. An experiment was designed that would give the researchers a realistic estimate of an effective dose for relieving stress hormone levels.

Participants were asked to engage in a 10 minute or more nature pill three times a week for a period of 8 weeks. Levels of cortisol which is a stress hormone, were measured using saliva samples which were take before and after a nature pill once every two weeks.

The participants were able to choose the time of day, the duration and the place of their nature experience. The chosen place was defined as any place outside that in the participant’s opinion made them feel like they have interacted with nature.

There were just a few constraints put in place to minimize factors which are known to influence stress. They included taking the nature pill during daylight, no aerobic exercise, and to avoid internet, phone calls, social media, reading and conversations.

By building personal flexibility in their experiment, the research team was able to identify the optimal duration of a participant’s nature pill – no matter where or when the nature pill was taken and under normal circumstances of modern life which can be hectic and unpredictable.

Furthermore, to make allowances for participant’s busy lifestyles and also provide meaningful results, the design was also novel in other aspects. Day to day differences in participant’s stress status were accommodated day to day.

The team did this by collecting four snapshots of cortisol change due to a nature pill. That also allowed them to identify and account for any impact of the ongoing, natural drop in cortisol levels as a day goes on. This resulted in a more reliable estimate of the effective duration.

The results of the data revealed that just a mere twenty minutes of a nature experience was sufficient to significantly reduce levels of cortisol. The results also showed that spending even a little more time immersed in the nature experience, 20 to 30 minutes walking or sitting, caused levels of cortisol dropped at their greatest rate.

The experiment gives healthcare practitioners great results as an evidence based rule of thumb on what to include in a nature pill prescription. The studies results provide the first estimates of how experiences in nature impact our stress levels in the context of a normal day.

The experiment’s approach might be used as a tool for further study in this area. Further studies could assess how gender, age, physical ability, seasonality and culture influence the effectiveness of nature experiences in regards to well being. These additional studies could help healthcare practitioners develop customized nature pill prescriptions as well as deeper insights into city designs and well being programs for the public.

To view the original scientific study click below.

Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers

Prevent Cartilage Damage with Exercise

A new study has given us yet another good reason to exercise! The study found that exercise helps to prevent degradation of cartilage that is due to osteoarthritis.

The study conducted at Queen Mary University of London has shown for the first time how the mechanical forces which are experienced by joint cells during exercise, prevents cartilage degradation. Exercise does this by suppressing the action of inflammatory molecules which lead to osteoarthritis.

The research team demonstrated exercise benefits on tissues which form our joints and how this is down to tiny hair like structures which are called primary cilia found on living cells.

When we exercise joint cartilage such as the knee and hip is squashed. Living cells in the cartilage detect this mechanical distortion which then block inflammatory molecules which are associated with conditions such as arthritis.

The anti inflammatory effect of physical activity is due to the activation of a protein called HDAC6. This protein triggers changes in the proteins that form the primary cilia.

Blocking the HDAC6 with pharmaceutical drugs prevented the anti inflammatory effects due to physical activity. Other drug treatments were able to mimic exercise benefits.

Changes which occurred in the length of the primary cilia which are only a few 1000th of a millimeter, provided a biomarker for the level of inflammation. During inflammation the cilia got longer. However, treatments that prevented the elongation successfully prevented this inflammation.

Additionally, the team’s findings might explain the anti inflammatory effects of normal blood flow in the arteries. This is important for the prevention of arterial disease such aneurysm and atherosclerosis.

The team hopes the findings will help in the development of treatments for diseases such as arthritis. These diseases affect more than 3 million people just in the United Kingdom. The results might lead to whole new therapeutic approaches which are known as mechano medicine in which drugs simulate the effect of mechanical forces to prevent the damaging effects of inflammation and treat arthritic conditions accordingly.

To view the original scientific study click below.

Mechanical loading inhibits cartilage inflammatory signalling via an HDAC6 and IFT-dependent mechanism regulating primary cilia elongation

High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Tumor Growth

A new study shows that consuming even a modest amount of high fructose corn syrup on a daily basis accelerates the growth of tumors in the intestines of mouse models. And the findings are independent of obesity. Just 12 ounces of a sugar sweetened beverage daily feeds cancer cells, boosting their growth.

The study team also found the mechanism by which the consumption of sugar laden beverages can directly feed the growth of cancer which suggests the potential of novel therapeutic strategies. There have been more observational studies lately which have raised awareness of the link between consuming sugary beverages, colorectal cancer and obesity.

The thought has been that sugar is harmful mostly because consuming too much can lead to obesity. And obesity increases risks of many types of cancer. However, there has been uncertainty whether a casual and direct link exists between cancer and the consumption of sugar. This was the important question that led to the study conducted by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine.

The team generated a mouse model of early stage cancer of the colon where APC gene is deleted. The APC gene is a gatekeeper in colorectal cancer. Deleting APC is compared to removing the breaks on a car. Without this gene, normal intestinal cells will neither stop nor die which leads to the forming of early stage tumors known as polyps. It is estimated that more than 90% of patients with colorectal cancer have this type of APC mutation.

The team tested the effect consuming sugar sweetened water had on tumor development in the mouse model with the disease. The water contained 25% high fructose corn syrup which is the main sweetener in a variety of sugary drinks people consume. This sweetener consists of glucose and fructose with a 45:55 ratio.

When the team provided the sweetened beverage in a water bottle for the APC model mice to consume at their will, they rapidly gained weight in a months time. To keep the mice from being obese and mimicking a humans daily consumption of a single can of soda, they instead gave the mice a modest amount of the sweetened water orally with a special syringe once a day. When they controlled their consumption, after two months the mice did not become obese, however they did develop tumors that were of higher grade and larger than mice who were treated with regular water.

The study results indicate that when animals have early state of tumors in their intestines, consuming even modest amounts of high fructose corn syrup in the form of liquid can boost tumor progression and growth even independently of obesity.

Further research is needed to translate the discoveries to people, however the findings in the mouse model suggest that constant consumption of sugary beverages can shorten the time for cancer to develop. With humans, it typically takes 20 to 30 years for cancer of the colon to grow from early stage benign tumors to aggressive cancers.

The research team continued their study by investigating the mechanism through which this type of sweetener promoted tumor growth. They found that the APC model mice receiving the modest quantities of high fructose corn syrup had high amounts of fructose in their colons. Sugary beverages increased the levels of glucose and fructose in the colon and blood respectively. The tumors could then efficiently take up both fructose and glucose by different routes.

By using cutting edge technologies to trace the fate of fructose and glucose in tumor tissues, the research team showed that fructose was first chemically changed and the process enabled it to efficiently promote the production of fatty acids which then contribute to tumor growth.

The findings suggested the role of fructose in tumors is to enhance glucose’s role of directing synthesis of fatty acids. This abundance of fatty acids can potentially be used by the cancer cells to form cellular membranes and signaling molecules to influence or grow inflammation.

To see whether fructose metabolism or the increased fatty acid production was responsible for the sugar induced tumor growth, the team modified the APC model mice to lack genes coding for enzymes that are involved in either fatty acid synthesis or fructose metabolism. One group of the mice lacked an enzyme KHK which is involved in the metabolism of fructose. The other group lacked enzyme FASN which is involved in fatty acid synthesis.

The team discovered that mice lacking either of these two genes did not develop large tumors unlike the APC model mice when fed the same small amounts of high fructose corn syrup.

The study showed results that colorectal cancers use high fructose corn syrup as fuel to increase rates of tumor growth. This is the major ingredient in most sugary sodas along with a variety of processed foods.

Fructose is not essential for the growth and survival of normal cells. This suggests that potential therapies targeting fructose metabolism may be worth exploring. And of course avoiding beverages and foods containing high fructose corn syrup as much as possible could significantly reduce the availability of sugar in the colon.

To view the original scientific study click below.

High-fructose corn syrup enhances intestinal tumor growth in mice.

Do Eggs and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease?

Sobering news has just come out for those who love their omelets! A new study of nearly 30,000 people has reported that adults who consumed more dietary cholesterol and eggs showed a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause.

The study conducted by Northwestern Medicine indicates that the current U.S. dietary guideline recommendations for dietary eggs and cholesterol needs to be reevaluated. The recent study looked at data of 29,615 ethnically and racially diverse adults from six prospective cohort studies.

The diet data was collected using a questionnaire for food frequency and by getting diet history. Each participant was asked what they had eaten for the previous month or year. All data was collected with a single visit. The study had up to 31 years of follow up with a median of 17.5 years. During this time 5,400 cardiovascular events and 6,132 all causes of deaths were diagnosed.

The study results found that eating 300 mg of dietary cholesterol a day (the amount found in 2 eggs) was found to be associated with a 17% higher risk of incident cardiovascular disease and 18% higher risk of all causes of death. They found that cholesterol was the main factor independent of saturated fat and other dietary fats.

They also found that eating 3 to 4 eggs in a week was associated with a 6% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and an 8% higher risk of any cause of death. Overall diet quality, exercise and the type and amount of dietary fat did not change the association between dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease and death.

The study showed that if two people consumed the same diet and the only thing different in the diet was eggs, then they could directly measure the effect eggs have on heart disease. Earlier studies found eating eggs did not raise the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, those studies had a less diverse sample, a shorter follow up timeline and limited ability to adjust for other parts of someones diet.

The study did have a major limitation of long term eating patterns which were not assessed. The study team had just one snapshot of what each individuals eating pattern looked like. However, they do think they represented a good estimate of a person’s dietary intake although any changes in a person’s diet couldn’t be accounted for.

Based on the new study, people should watch their dietary intake of cholesterol by keeping it low. Reducing foods that are cholesterol rich such as red meat and eggs is the recommendation. However, eggs and red meat are good sources of great nutrients such as iron, choline and amino acids so they don’t need to be banished for good. It would be wise to eat egg whites instead of whole eggs and red meat consumption kept to a minimum.

To view the original scientific study click below.

Associations of Dietary Cholesterol or Egg Consumption With Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality.

Lack of Sleep and Aging Go Hand in Hand

New research from Oxford University has brought scientists closer to understanding the mysterious function of sleep. What the scientists have discovered is how oxidative stress leads to sleep. Oxidative stress is believed to be one of the reasons we age and is also a cause of degenerative diseases.

The study confirms just what scientists have suspected…chronic lack of sleep will shorten life. Professor Gero Miesenbock who led the team, compares oxygen tanks which carry explosion hazard labels to humans who face a similar risk when oxygen we breathe to convert food into energy leads to oxidative stress in cells. He calls this imperfectly contained combustion.

This oxidative stress is believed to be one of the causes of aging and associated degenerative diseases which hinder of later years in life. The new research shows that oxidative stress also activates neurons which control whether we go to sleep.

The research team studied sleep regulation in fruit flies which are the animals that provided the first insight into the circadian clock almost 50 years ago. Each individual fly has a special set of neurons which control sleep. In a previous study the team discovered that the sleep control neurons function like an on off switch. When the neurons are electrically active the fly will be sleeping. When the neurons are silent the fly is awake.

The team decided to look for the signals which will switch the sleep control neurons on. They knew from previous research that a major difference between waking and sleep is how much electrical current will flow through two ion channels which are called Sandman and Shaker. Most of the current will be through Shaker during sleep.

The function of ion channels is to generate and control these electrical impulses through which brain cells will communicate. This made the team of scientists think about turning the question of, why we sleep, into a solvable and concrete problem. The team then sought to discovered what causes the electrical current to go through Shaker.

The answer was found in a component of the Shaker channel. They found that suspended below the electrically conducting portion of Shaker is another component. A small molecule, NADPH, flips back and forth between the chemical states which regulates the Shaker current. In turn, the state of NADPH reflects the degree of oxidative stress the cell has experienced. Sleeplessness leads to oxidative stress and this in turn drives the chemical conversion.

In a demonstration of this mechanism, a flash of light which flipped the chemical state of NADPH put flies to sleep.

Sleep disturbances are very common and sleeping pills are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs. These medications carry a variety of side effects and risks including addiction, forgetfulness and confusion. By targeting the mechanism the team has discovered, some of the side effects could be avoided.

To view the original scientific study click below.

Sleep and Aging: Two Side of One Coin?

A Good Reason to Follow the Mediterranean Diet

New research has shown that following the Mediterranean Diet for just a period of 4 days will boost exercise performance! Which is another great reason to follow one of the healthiest diets! The research team at St. Louis University in Missouri conducted the study to see if this diet would improve exercise performance and endurance. What they found was evidence that the Mediterranean diet which is already known for good health, did boost exercise performance in the study group.

The team recruited four men and seven women who were already recreationally active. The participants were asked to follow a diet that included eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, olive oil, nuts, whole grains, and a moderate consumption of red wine while also avoiding processed and red meats, trans and saturated fats, refined sugars and also limiting dairy products.

Following the first four days with the participants on this predominantly plant based diet, they were asked to run 5 kilometers on a treadmill. Nine to sixteen days later the participants were asked to follow a Western diet for an additional four days and then run 5 kilometers once again. The Western diet they followed was the traditional Western diet which consists of over consumption of refined sugars, salt, and saturated fats and little intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.

The team additionally wanted to test the effects the two diets would have on muscle strengthening and anaerobic exercise. They asked the participants to take a vertical jump test, a cycle test and a hand grip test at the same time points throughout the study.

The study found that overall the participants were 6 percent faster in the 5 kilometer treadmill run after following the Mediterranean diet than they were following the Western diet. The improvement occurred even though the heart rates of the participants were about the same and ratings of perceived exertion were the same on both occasions. However, the different diets did not show any effect on performance with the anaerobic exercise.

A variety of individual nutrients that are found in foods in the Mediterranean diet improve performance immediately or within just a few days. However, the benefits were quickly lost when a switch was made back to the Western diet. The study provides an incentive not only for athletes but also the general population to eat a healthier diet such as the Mediterranean diet.

To view the original scientific study click below.

Short-Term Mediterranean Diet Improves Endurance Exercise Performance: A Randomized-Sequence Crossover Trial.

Ingredients in Pills Can Lead to Adverse Reactions

A recent study conducted by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that a large majority of some of the most frequently prescribed medications in the U.S. contain at least one “inactive ingredient” that could cause adverse reactions.

Inactive ingredients are added to medications to improve taste, absorption, shelf life and a variety of other characteristics of a pill. The study team found that over 90 percent of all oral medications they tested contained an ingredient which can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms and other allergic reactions in sensitive people.

The inactive ingredients include peanut oil, lactose, chemical dyes and gluten. These added ingredients present a challenge to clinicians who want to make sure they are prescribing a medication that does not cause an allergic or adverse reaction. The study actually was inspired by a real life situation where an individual with celiac disease was prescribed a medication that contained gluten.

The team collaborated with a biochemical data scientist and an internal medicine resident and others to analyze data of inactive ingredients found in 42,052 oral medications all of which contained more than 354,597 inactive ingredients. Inactive ingredients are defined as any substance that is added to a pill’s formulation but are not expected or intended to have any direct therapeutic or biological effect.

Inactive ingredients have been tested for safety at population levels. However, scattered case reports have shown that inactive ingredients can cause problems for individuals with intolerances and allergies.

The team notes that the data set is complex. There are hundreds of different versions of capsules or pills that deliver the exact same medication but use a different combination of inactive ingredients. This indicates how convoluted the choices of inactive ingredients is. But it also suggests that there is an untapped opportunity to specifically choose the most appropriate version of a medication for someone with unusual sensitivities.

The research team discovered a total of 38 inactive ingredients that have been described in literature to cause adverse symptoms after oral exposure. At least 92.8 percent of medications analyzed contained at least one of these ingredients. About 45% contained lactose, about 33% contained a food dye, and about .08% contained peanut oil.

While the content of a particular inactive ingredient may be too low to lead to an adverse reaction in most people, someone with an allergy or intolerance could have a reaction. These doses may be low, however it isn’t known what the threshold is for individuals to react to them. This pushes scientists to think about precision care and the role of legislation and regulation when it comes to medication labels that contain an inactive ingredient that can cause adverse reactions.

To view the original scientific study click below.

“Inactive” ingredients in oral medications

Youthful Blood Cells Rejuvenate Brain

A new study has shown that by transplanting the bone marrow of young lab mice into older lab mice, cognitive decline was prevented. The younger blood cells preserved memory and learning abilities in the senior mice. The findings have supported an emerging model which attributes decline in cognitive skills at least in part to the aging of blood cells which are produced in bone marrow.

Previous studies have shown the results, however, it has not been well understood how it happens. The new research which was conducted by Cedars Sinai Medical Center, suggests that one explanation lies in specific properties of the younger blood cells.

For the study, 18 month old lab mice received bone marrow transplants from either mice their own age or 4 month old mice. At six months, both groups underwent a variety of standard lab tests including activity level and learning and working and spatial memory. The mice that received the young bone marrow transplants outperformed the mice who received the old bone marrow transplant. They also outperformed a control group of older mice that did not get any transplants.

The team then examined the hippocampus, a region in the brain which is associated with memory. The mice who received the young bone marrow transplant retained more synapses (connections) between neurons in the hippocampus than did the recipients of the older bone marrow. Synapses are important to brain health.

Additional tests indicated a possible explanation for the missing synapses. They found that the blood cells made by the young bone marrow reduced the activation of microglia. Microglia are a type of immune cell found in the brain. They support neuron health but can also become overactive and take part in disconnection of synapses. Fewer overactive microglia allows neurons to remain healthy and more synapses to survive.

With the increase in more elderly people in populations and an increase in neurodegenerative diseases, there will be a huge burden on health systems. If continued research confirms similar processes in humans, the findings could provide pathways for creating therapies to slow the progression of these types of diseases. However, translating the results if confirmed in human samples into possible treatment plans is challenging. Currently, bone marrow transplants are not feasible for this use.

The team is currently working on creating personalized young blood stem cells through stem cell technology. It is hoped that these cells might be used to help replace an individuals own aging blood cells to help prevent cognitive decline and even neurodegenerative diseases.

Below is a link to the original scientific study.

Young bone marrow transplantation preserves learning and memory in old mice.

Breakthrough in Measuring Pain through Blood

Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have developed a new test that will objectively measure pain biomarkers in blood. This test is important in that it could help medical professionals treat patients more effectively with precision medicine and help slow down the use of opioids.

The team tracked hundreds of study participants at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis to identify biomarkers in the participants blood. The blood test which is the first of its kind, would give physicians much more accuracy in treating pain. In addition it would help them determine the best long term look at a patient’s medical future.

The prototype for the blood test can objectively show doctors if their patient is in pain and how severe that pain is for them. Pain is a subjective sensation so it is very important to have an objective measure. Until this study, physicians could only rely on their patients self reporting or on their own clinical impression of the patient’s pain level.

The research team looked at biomarkers found in the participants blood which in this case are molecules that reflect the severity of a disease. From there a doctor can assess the severity of pain and provide treatment in a quantifiable and objective manner. With the current opioid epidemic, the team believes there has never been a more critical time to administer drugs in a responsible manner.

The opioid epidemic has occurred due to the addictive medications that have been over prescribed because there has been no objective measure of whether someone is actually in pain and if they are, how severe that pain is. The thought has been, if the patient says there are experiencing pain then prescribe it. The new test recently developed allows doctors to treat people’s pain in a precise manner.

The blood test also helps doctors match a person’s biomarkers in their blood with a variety of potential options for treatment. The researchers use a prescription database to match pain biomarkers with a profile of natural compounds and drugs which have been cataloged in the database.

A person’s blood biomarkers are similar to a fingerprint and they can be matched against the database to see which compound could normalize the signature. Hopefully the best treatment is identified as a non opioid drug or compound. For instance, there are some compounds that have been used for years to treat things other than pain. These might pair best with a person’s blood biomarkers for pain treatment.

The goal in any area of of medicine is to match a patient to the right drug for any health condition and to do so with very little harm. In the area of pain management through the widespread use of opioids, precision health such as the biomarker blood test could now possibly eliminate or reduce opioid use.

Study experts have also discovered that biomarkers not only match with non addictive drugs which treat pain, but can also assist in predicting when someone might experience pain sometime in the future. This helps them determine if a patient is showing chronic, long term pain which could result in emergency room visits in their future.

The team first sought to find markers for pain that are universal and they achieved that. However, based on their data there are some markers which will work better for men and some that work better for women. And there could be markers that will work better for headaches or fibromyalgia and other conditions and diseases.

Moving forward the research team hopes to secure funding to continue and hopefully accelerate their studies. Their hopes are to be able to personalize the approach even more and also move towards a clinical application. The team’s leader notes that is has been a goal for many researchers to find biomarkers for pain. The work the group has done could now have a significant impact on how physicians around the globe treat pain in the future.

To view the original scientific study click here: Towards precision medicine for pain: diagnostic biomarkers and repurposed drugs.

Another Good Reason to Exercise

Need another great reason to exercise? A new study has suggested that the level at which a person exercises and is physically active may have an effect on the bacterial diversity of their gut. And this in turn influences a person’s health.

Exercise has been shown to adjust the balance of the gut microbiome. Our bodies are made up of about as many bacteria and microorganisms as our regular human cells. In the colon alone which contains the largest number of bacterial cells, there are about 38 trillion bacteria. Bacteria affects the state of our health and any loss of the bacterial diversity in the gut has been linked to increased risk of disease.

The researchers from Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducted the study. They already knew that the efficiency of our circulatory and respiratory systems in delivering oxygen during exercise was associated with larger bacterial diversity. What they weren’t sure about was whether this was in part due to the physical activity or on the other hand a person’s percentage of body fat.

To explore this more, the team recruited 37 participants who had previously been successfully treated for non metastatic cancer of the breast. They choose these individual due to the fact that treatment for cancer typically has a negative impact on metabolic health which includes cardio respiratory fitness.

The study participants were asked to perform graded exercises for the researchers. This is so they could assess their peak cardio respiratory fitness in addition to their total expenditure of energy. The team also collected fecal samples from these participants which were used to analyze their gut microbiota.

What the team found after all analyses and assessments, was that the participants with higher cardio respiratory fitness also showed more diversity of their bacterial populations in the gut as compared to those with low cardio respiratory fitness.

The researchers also confirmed that cardio respiratory fitness was connected to about 25% of the variance of the bacterial species diversity. They also noted that this effect was not associated with what was produced by a person’s body fat percentage.

This data indicates that exercise with intensity that is adequately high and will boost cardio respiratory effectiveness, will improve the state of overall health through supporting a more adequately balanced gut.

Although this study involved a small group of women, the research teams believes their findings will help them more forward in finding out how best to apply them to improve the health of others not only for those wanting to improve their overall health, but also for those who are at a high risk for a variety diseases and obesity.

The team is also pursuing an interventional study to see how variations in exercise intensity might influence microbiota diversity of the gut under controlled feeding conditions.

Another earlier study from the University of Illinois found that exercise for just a six week period could produce quite an impact on gut microbiome.

This study began by sampling the gut microbiomes from participants whose exercise program consisted of cardiovascular exercises for 30 to 60 minutes three days per week for a period of six weeks. The gut microbiome was sampled at the beginning of the study then at the end of the study.

At the end of the study the team found the microbiomes had changed. Some of the participants showed an increase in certain microbes and others a decrease. Most had an increase in gut microbes whose job is to assist in the production of short chain fatty acids. These fatty acids will reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases as well as obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Following the six weeks of exercise, the participants were then asked to return to their normal sedentary life styles for an additional six weeks. When the gut microbiomes were sampled at the end of this period, the team discovered that the gut microbiomes in the participants had reverted back to their original status before the first six weeks of exercise began.

This finding indicates the kind of impact exercise can have on the microbiome for a relatively short time period of exercise. However, the exercise needs to be done on a regular basis without stopping for the benefits to be realized and to continue. The team hopes to further study their findings by looking at exercise for even longer periods of time to see if this would result in even greater changes in the gut microbiome.

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