Study from Newcastle University, UK, illustrating the notion that losing pancreatic fat can reverse Type II Diabetes.
In a trial for Bariatric surgery, 18 people with T2DM and 9 without were measured in weight, fat levels in pancreas, and insulin response before and after surgery. Both groups losing the same amount of weight, yielded the result of having lost pancreatic fat until it was at a normal level in the T2DM patients, and not for the non-T2DM patients.
Other groups of patients with and without T2DM were asked to lose weight, where the weight loss showed fat being lost in the pancreas in the T2DM patients, and no fat being lost in the patients without T2DM.
Both results suggest that pancreatic fat accumulation is specific to people who develop T2DM.
The amount of fat needed to reverse the diabetes was about 1 gram of pancreatic fat.
Sciencedaily article here.
Original published study in the journal Diabetes Care here.
Reference: December 1, 2015, doi: 10.2337/dc15-0750
A blog dedicated to organizing all the types of things that capture my interest into one convenient location. Although it's not used with the intention of obtaining a loyal readership, if you feel that you're interested in the same thing, feel free to peruse at your disposal, and/or to contact me so we can be friends and learn from each other.
Showing posts with label Medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Medicine. Show all posts
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
World Health Organization announces processed meat as carcinogenic.
The WHO IARC, or World Health Organization International Agency of Research and Cancer, announced that processed meat was classified as a Group 1 category, or carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence. Expounding on meat consumption and its effects, they concluded that eating red meat increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. One must note that this is not an 18% increase from an out of 100% chance of getting cancer. This is an 18% increase from the already 4.5% chance of getting cancer. In other words, this is a relative increase. This gives a completely different scope to what 18% really means, and what it really means is an 18% increase of 4.5% which is 5.31% from a daily intake of 50g portions of processed meat.
David Phillips, a cancer researcher from the UK, made this analogy: "To make an analogy, think of banana skins. They definitely can cause accidents - but in practice this doesn't happen very often (unless you work in a banana factory). And the sort of harm you can come to from slipping on a banana skin isn't generally as severe as, say, being in a car accident, but under a hazard identification system like the IARC's, 'banana skins' and 'cars' would come under the same category - they both definitely do cause accident." - David Phillips
In other words, the IARC cares only about the hazards, and not about the magnitude, and that's an important distinction to make.
In other news, it has also classified red meat as a Group 2A category, which is probably carcinogenic to humans based on limited evidence.
Original IARC press release document here.
David Phillips, a cancer researcher from the UK, made this analogy: "To make an analogy, think of banana skins. They definitely can cause accidents - but in practice this doesn't happen very often (unless you work in a banana factory). And the sort of harm you can come to from slipping on a banana skin isn't generally as severe as, say, being in a car accident, but under a hazard identification system like the IARC's, 'banana skins' and 'cars' would come under the same category - they both definitely do cause accident." - David Phillips
In other words, the IARC cares only about the hazards, and not about the magnitude, and that's an important distinction to make.
In other news, it has also classified red meat as a Group 2A category, which is probably carcinogenic to humans based on limited evidence.
Original IARC press release document here.
Sugar reduction improves physiological markers in obese children
A study done on 43 obese children with hypertension, hyperinsulinemia, a lipid profile of high LDL, and low HDL, high fasting glucose and other physiological markers typically associated with Metabolic Syndrome yielded surprising results after a 9-day fructose sugar reduction in diet. The sugar reduction was the only marker reduced, and carbohydrate ingestion was adjusted to maintain the same amount of calories.
This to me, raises again the counter-intuitive notion that overweight, and even obese people can be healthy physiologically. If all parameters checks out, you can be overweight and still physiologically normal.
Article by ScienceDaily here.
Original published study on the journal Obesity here.
Reference: DOI: 10.1002/oby.21371
This to me, raises again the counter-intuitive notion that overweight, and even obese people can be healthy physiologically. If all parameters checks out, you can be overweight and still physiologically normal.
Article by ScienceDaily here.
Original published study on the journal Obesity here.
Reference: DOI: 10.1002/oby.21371
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Blood donation lowering risk of cancer and stroke.
Blood donation helps lower risk of heart attack and stroke due to reduced blood viscosity via iron removal.
The iron removal reduces damage caused from oxidative stress which helps lower your risk of cancer.
Original published study on the American Journal of Epidemiology here.
Reference: 1998;148:445-51., Vol. 148, No. 5
Original published study on the Journal of the National Cancer Institute here.
Reference: JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst (2008) 100 (14): 996-1002. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djn209 First published online July 8, 2008
The iron removal reduces damage caused from oxidative stress which helps lower your risk of cancer.
Original published study on the American Journal of Epidemiology here.
Reference: 1998;148:445-51., Vol. 148, No. 5
Original published study on the Journal of the National Cancer Institute here.
Reference: JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst (2008) 100 (14): 996-1002. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djn209 First published online July 8, 2008
Vitamin B12 modulates the transcriptome of the skin microbiota in acne pathogenesis
Vitamin B12 found as an integral part of acne pathogenesis. Vitamin B12 is found highly in meats in dairies.
Original published study on the journal Science Translational Medicine here.
Reference: Science Translational Medicine 24 Jun 2015: Vol. 7, Issue 293, pp. 293ra103, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aab2009
Original published study on the journal Science Translational Medicine here.
Reference: Science Translational Medicine 24 Jun 2015: Vol. 7, Issue 293, pp. 293ra103, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aab2009
A new antibiotic kills pathogens without detectable resistance
For anyone interested in Microbiology. It's a pretty big deal, because not only is it a creative and smart way of tackling antibiotic resistance, but it brings a new hope for preventing the impending antibiotic crisis of 2050, which changes healthcare treatments.
Antibiotics are typically created through semisynthesis, which is a process where you take a natural substance and chemically tweak it using cultured bacteria. This is limiting because the bacteria cultured develop mutational resistances, and microbiology isn't expanding in the field of taxonomy these days to experiment with new cultured bacteria.
If you use culture-independent methods to analyze a gram of soil, you obtain an average of about 12,000 16s rRNA gene sequences, which means that a gram of soil typically ranges between 10,000-20,000 different microbes living in it. If you compare that to the over mere 8,500 microbes currently classified, we have a diverse microbial world that potentially inhabits millions of microbial species yet undiscovered. By using methods that extract antibacterial substances from uncultured bacteria, you increase the chances of finding new powerful antibiotics by a limitless amount, which lead to these incredible antibiotics like teixobactin that haven't yet created any antibacterial resistances.
Article by ScienceDaily here.
Original published study on the journal Nature here.
Reference: Nature 517, 455–459 (22 January 2015) doi:10.1038/nature14098
Antibiotics are typically created through semisynthesis, which is a process where you take a natural substance and chemically tweak it using cultured bacteria. This is limiting because the bacteria cultured develop mutational resistances, and microbiology isn't expanding in the field of taxonomy these days to experiment with new cultured bacteria.
If you use culture-independent methods to analyze a gram of soil, you obtain an average of about 12,000 16s rRNA gene sequences, which means that a gram of soil typically ranges between 10,000-20,000 different microbes living in it. If you compare that to the over mere 8,500 microbes currently classified, we have a diverse microbial world that potentially inhabits millions of microbial species yet undiscovered. By using methods that extract antibacterial substances from uncultured bacteria, you increase the chances of finding new powerful antibiotics by a limitless amount, which lead to these incredible antibiotics like teixobactin that haven't yet created any antibacterial resistances.
Article by ScienceDaily here.
Original published study on the journal Nature here.
Reference: Nature 517, 455–459 (22 January 2015) doi:10.1038/nature14098
Restricted epigenetic inheritance of H3K9 methylation
On the Programmed/Non-Programmed Aging Controversy
This explains the key differences between programmed vs nonprogrammed aging theories. Both being radically different in their attempts to explain the mechanisms behind aging, a resolution to the problem would greatly affect medical research in studying processes of age-related diseases. Evidence is growing for a programmed theory due to discoveries such as genes that cause aging and the effects that are caused by engaging in calorie restriction diets.
Article from Biochemistry Phenoptosis here.
Reference: Biochemistry (Moscow) Phenoptosis, Vol 77 No 7, pp. 729_732, 2012, DOI: 10.1134/S000629791207005X
Article from Biochemistry Phenoptosis here.
Reference: Biochemistry (Moscow) Phenoptosis, Vol 77 No 7, pp. 729_732, 2012, DOI: 10.1134/S000629791207005X
Molecular Signatures of Major Depression
Increased mitochondrial DNA & decreased telomere length found in over 11,000+ MD patients triggered via a glucocorticoid. This makes this the first time a biomarker was ever found for depression, which probably has huge clinical implications.
"Depression might in some sense be considered a metabolic reaction to perceived stress."
Original published study on the journal Current Biology here.
Reference: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.03.008
"Depression might in some sense be considered a metabolic reaction to perceived stress."
Original published study on the journal Current Biology here.
Reference: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.03.008
Future possibilities for research governing HIV remission.
The evidence is showing that early treatment may be the key to HIV remission. There will be studies conducted as early as 2018 with 150 HIV patients exploring the possibilities of remission.
Article by MedicalDaily here.
Article by MedicalDaily here.
Leptin Suppresses the Rewarding Effects of Running via STAT3 Signaling in Dopamine Neurons
Knockout or loss of function of STAT3 in mice increases the rewarding effects of running, in which case more voluntary running is observed in mice. Although the mechanism is not completely known yet, it is known that Leptin requires STAT3 for its function. This is what's behind pharmaceutical weight loss regimens, what's known as the "runner's high", and its hyperactivity in anorexia.
Original published study on the journal Cell Metabolism here.
Reference: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2015.08.003
Original published study on the journal Cell Metabolism here.
Reference: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2015.08.003
Tweaking Mitochondria via Nutrition
Neurological Effects of Taurine
Hippocampal neurogenesis and lowered arterial stress (and much more). Taurine's benefits to the human body are revolutionary.
Life Extension magazine article here.
Life Extension magazine article here.
From inflammaging to healthy aging by dietary lifestyle choices: is epigenetics the key to personalized nutrition?
"Inflammaging" and the role of the epigenetic diet in relation to age-related diseases.
Clinical review, part of the series Breakthroughs in Clinical Epigenetics here.
Reference: doi:10.1186/s13148-015-0068-2
Clinical review, part of the series Breakthroughs in Clinical Epigenetics here.
Reference: doi:10.1186/s13148-015-0068-2
Apoptosis and necrosis mediate skeletal muscle fiber loss in age-induced mitochondrial enzymatic abnormalities
mtDNA deletion mutations are causal in sarcopenia, and are concomitant with electron transport chain abnormalities, causing apoptotic mechanisms to activate, and cell necrosis.
Original published study on the journal Aging Cell here.
Reference: DOI: 10.1111/acel.12399
Original published study on the journal Aging Cell here.
Reference: DOI: 10.1111/acel.12399
Sympathetic Neuro-adipose Connections Mediate Leptin-Driven Lipolysis
First direct evidence of Leptin-driven lipolysis through sympathetic neuron innervations from the hypothalamus within fat cells. Implications would include future pharmacological treatments for obesity.
Article by The Scientist here.
Original published study on the journal Cell here.
Reference: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.08.055
Leptin on Wiki
Article by The Scientist here.
Original published study on the journal Cell here.
Reference: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.08.055
Leptin on Wiki
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