quinta-feira, 21 de maio de 2015

O que são e como funcionam (se é que funcionam...) os suplementos “pré-treino”? (www.cienciainforma.com.br)

Contendo uma combinação de diversas substâncias, inúmeros blends estão disponíveis à venda, especialmente no mercado exterior. Com a promessa de melhorar o desempenho no treino, os pré-treinos têm conquistado um número cada vez mais maior de consumidores que defendem a eficácia do suplemento. E não é por menos! Se tem algo que a indústria de suplementos tem feito muito bem é explorar o efeito placebo de algumas substâncias. Entendamos o caso.

Pontos em comum dos “pré-treinos”

Embora cada marca seja ligeiramente diferente das demais, a maioria dos “pré-treinos” que fazem sucesso no mercado contêm um ou mais das seguintes substâncias:

- creatina (doses variam entre ~1 g e 2 g por porção)

- beta-alanina (doses variam entre ~1,6 de 2 g por porção)

- cafeína (doses variam entre ~150mg e 300 mg por porção)

- substâncias que aumentam nitrato (em teoria... discutirei isso logo abaixo)

- substâncias “desconhecidas”

- outras substâncias

Ainda que existam muitas evidências científicas indicando que creatina, beta-alanina, cafeína e nitrato melhoram o desempenho, a forma como essas substâncias são oferecidas nos “pré-treinos” são altamente questionáveis, a começar pelo própria alegação de que precisam ser consumidas logo antes do treino.

Creatina, beta-alanina e nitrato não são “pré-treinos”

São muito sólidas as evidências científicas mostrando que pouco importa se creatina, beta-alanina e nitrato são ingeridos antes do treino ou não. O efeito de tais substâncias não é imediato e, portanto, elas não precisam ser tomadas logo antes do treino. Caso sejam, certamente seu efeito não acontecerá naquela sessão de treino. 

A beta-alanina resulta em aumento da síntese de carnosina no músculo, mas tal aumento só é observável depois de, no mínimo, 2 semanas de suplementação! E os efeitos sobre o desempenho provavelmente só serão significativos após 4 semanas de uso crônico. Além disso, as doses mais efetivas variam entre ~4 g/dia e ~6 g/dia, portanto muito maiores do que os meros 1,6-2 g/dose oferecidos pelos “pré-treinos”.

No caso da creatina, que atua por meio do aumento das concentrações de creatina no músculo, o tempo para que a suplementação faça efeito é de ~5 dias (para doses altas, de 20 g/dia), ou de ~30 dias (para doses mais baixas, de ~5 g/dia). As doses baixas oferecidas pelos “pré-treinos” (de 1-2 g/porção) provavelmente demorariam ainda mais tempo para fazer efeito. Portanto, não faz o menor sentido imaginar que a creatina ingerida no “pré-treino” terá qualquer efeito sobre a performance no treino realizado logo depois.

Já no caso do nitrato, embora alguns estudos mostrem que o uso agudo possa melhorar o desempenho, o tempo necessário para que faça efeito é de ~2,5 horas, tempo muito maior do que o praticado pela maioria dos usuários.

Creatina e nitrato, “só que não”

A maioria dos “pré-treinos” contém creatina e substâncias que aumentam nitrato (em teoria...), porém, é pouco provável que tanto a creatina como o nitrato oferecido por esses suplementos sejam realmente efetivos. 

Além dos problemas com as doses baixas, como eu comentei acima, a maioria das marcas contém formas de creatina diferentes da creatina monoidrato. Estudos mostram que muitas dessas novas formas de creatina são pior absorvidas pelo organismo ou, na melhor da hipóteses, apenas contêm menos creatina por porção. 

Em relação ao nitrato, as notícias também não são muito animadoras. Além dos problemas com o momento da ingestão, os suplementos “pré-treino” certamente não oferecem as doses necessárias para que o nitrato faça efeito (doses efetivas geralmente variam entre ~500-1000 mg de nitrato). Na verdade, muitos deles sequer contém nitrato em suas fórmulas. Em vez disso, contém arginina ou citrulina; embora ambos sejam precursores de óxido nítrico, os estudos até hoje não conseguiram mostrar que sua suplementação seja capaz de efetivamente aumentar óxido nítrico, como já discutido neste blog. Algumas marcas contêm extrato de beterraba em suas composições, mas é impossível que 500 mg desse extrato contenha os 500 mg de nitrato necessários.

Efeito placebo: o que há de mais efetivo (e nocivo) nos “pré-treinos”

A seleção de algumas substâncias e das doses deixa clara a intenção da indústria: explorar o efeito placebo. O efeito placebo refere-se a qualquer tipo de melhora obtida com qualquer tratamento pelo simples fato da pessoa que recebe aquele tratamento acreditar em sua efetividade. No caso dos suplementos, o indivíduo toma um suplemento qualquer e, por acreditar que irá desempenhar melhor, ele realmente desempenha melhor, independente da real eficácia do suplemento. Obviamente, os suplementos com maior capacidade de sugestionar seus consumidores são aqueles que têm efeitos perceptíveis, especialmente sobre o sistema nervoso. É o caso da cafeína, que aumenta a frequência cardíaca e cria um “estado de alerta”. A propósito, todos os “pré-treinos” contêm cafeína. Não que a cafeína não seja ergogênica; muitos estudos mostram que são, mas seus efeitos geralmente desaparecem com o uso contínuo. Trata-se de um efeito de dessensibilização de receptores, como já discutido neste blog. Portanto, a cafeína não necessariamente é um suplemento pré-treino; provavelmente, seu melhor uso seria como suplemento pré-competição. Para tal, os blends pré-treino não são escolhas tão boas quanto seria o uso de cafeína isolada.

Outro uso do efeito placebo dos “pré-treinos” ocorre pelas altas doses de beta-alanina. A indústria certamente sabe que a beta-alanina, se consumida em doses acima de 800 mg, pode causar parestesia (uma sensação de coceira e formigamento na pele). Mesmo assim, as porções contidas nos blends contém o dobro, ou mais, da dose máxima de beta-alanina. O resultado certamente será a parestesia, uma sensação desconfortável, mas inofensiva; mas que certamente fará com que o usuário “sinta” que aquele produto está fazendo efeito.

O lado perigoso da exploração do efeito placebo está na inclusão de certas drogas na composição de alguns “pré-treinos”, com o DMAA (dimetilamilamina), um fármaco psicoativo da classe das anfetaminas que pode causar efeitos colaterais perigosos à saúde.

Em outras palavras...

Não há mesmo muitos motivos para usar os “pré-treinos” disponíveis no mercado. Além do preço altíssimo, eles contêm substâncias inócuas, desconhecidas ou perigosas. Além disso, as substâncias que sabidamente podem ter efeito positivo sobre o desempenho não precisam necessariamente ser consumidas antes do treino, e tampouco terão efeito imediato na próxima sessão de treino. Problemas com doses excessivamente altas ou baixas e com formas de suplementos deixam claro que a melhor opção é suplementar substâncias isoladas, nas doses corretas e apenas quando for necessário.

Um abraço e até a próxima!

Guilherme Artioli - Blog Ciência inForma

www.cienciainforma.com.br

Para saber mais:

- Artioli GG et al. Role of beta-alanine supplementation on muscle carnosine and exercise performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Jun;42(6):1162-73.

- Artioli GG et al. Introdução à creatina e a sua suplementação. In: Bruno Gualano. (Org.). Suplementação de creatina. Efeitos ergogênicos, terapêuticos e adversos. 1a ed.Barueri: Manole, 2014, v. 1, p. 1-23.

- Vanhatalo A et al. Acute and chronic effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on blood pressure and the physiological responses to moderate-intensity and incremental exercise. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2010 Oct;299(4):R1121-31.

- Rogers & Dinges. Caffeine: Implications for Alertness in Athletes. Clin Sports Med 24 (2005) e1– e13.

- Davis JM et al. Central nervous system effects of caffeine and adenosine on fatigue. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 284: R399–R404, 2003.

- Hickner RC et al. L-citrulline reduces time to exhaustion and insulin response to a graded exercise test. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Apr;38(4):660-6.

Link:

Novo princípio ativo pode tratar a esquistossomose

Por Da Redação - agenusp@usp.br
Publicado em 7/maio/2015 

Da Assessoria de Comunicação do IFSC
comunic.ifsc@ifsc.usp.br

Um estudo realizado por pesquisadores brasileiros e estrangeiros revelou que um metabólito secundário do jaborandi, a epiisopiloturina, poderá servir como princípio ativo para combater a esquistossomose. Dados fornecidos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) mostram que a doença afeta quase 240 milhões de pessoas, sendo a verminose que mais mata no mundo. A pesquisa tem participação da professora do Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC) da USP, Yvonne Primerano Mascarenhas, e da pós-doutoranda, Ana Carolina Mafud que tem bolsa vinculada ao Centro de Pesquisa e Inovação em Biodiversidade e Fármacos (CIBFar) da Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Fapesp).
Epiisopiloturina poderá servir como princípio ativo para combater a esquistossomose

Além do IFSC, participam do estudo a Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), o Instituto de Química (IQ) e o Instituto de Física (IF) da USP, a 7 Anidro do Brasil Extrações S.A. e Bruker BioSpin GmbH (Alemanha).

A pilocarpina, substância extraída das folhas do jaborandi, já é utilizada para o tratamento de glaucoma. Nas plantações de jaborandi localizadas no Piauí, a empresa Centroflora (unidade Parnaíba) faz a extração da pilocarpina para posteriormente vendê-la a indústrias farmacêuticas. Tal processo gera uma grande quantidade de resíduos, que não tem local ideal para descarte.

Foi a partir desse problema que pesquisadores do Núcleo de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia (Biotec), da Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), resolveram analisar os resíduos com o intuito de encontrar alguma molécula ativa que pudesse, eventualmente, ser aproveitada. Eles descobriram que 70% dos resíduos eram compostos pela epiisopiloturina, substância capaz de matar oSchistosoma mansoni, parasita causador da esquistossomose em modelos animais.

A partir de uma parceria entre o IFSC e o Biotec, coordenado pelo professor da UFPI José Roberto de Souza de Almeida Leite, a professora Yvonne Mascarenhas foi escolhida para resolver a estrutura cristalográfica da epiisopiloturina. Já a pós-doutoranda Ana Carolina auxiliou nos planejamento dos ensaios in vivofeitos pelo professor do Núcleo de Pesquisa em Doenças Negligenciadas da Faculdade de Ciências de Guarulhos (FACIG), Josué de Moraes.

Eles fizeram análises térmicas para verificar eventuais alterações na estrutura da molécula da epiisopiloturina, e de pKa (pH no qual a estrutura é neutra), para ter a garantia da não toxicidade da epiisopiloturina aos organismos vivos.

Testes

As análises iniciais mostraram que não houve alteração de estrutura e a não toxicidade da epiisopiloturina, a segunda etapa foi realizada com testes em roedores. “Administramos o medicamento via oral nos roedores para incluir a passagem da substância pelo estômago e fígado deles antes de chegar ao intestino e, finalmente, à corrente sanguínea. Constatamos que a substância não causou danos aos órgãos”, ressalta Ana Carolina. A não toxicidade aguda foi realizada em colaboração na Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), pela pesquisadora Selma Kucklhaus.

Outra parceria do trabalho foram os experimentos de Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura, realizados pelo pesquisador Peter Eaton, Pesquisador Visitante Especial (PVE-CNPq) ligado ao Biotec e investigador da Rede de Pesquisa Requimte da Universidade do Porto (Portugal).

Eaton apontou alterações causadas no tegumento do parasita retirado do fígado dos roedores quando tratados com o farmoquímico epiisopiloturina. Isso demonstrou ação direta sobre o parasita no organismo do hospedeiro. Atualmente, o único fármaco utilizado contra esquistossomose é o Praziquantel. Porém o medicamento oferece algumas desvantagens. A primeira delas é ser eficaz apenas contra os vermes adultos da doença.

“Outro problema do Praziquantel é ser administrado em dose única e o ciclo de vida do Schistosoma é de 56 dias. Portanto, para eliminar o verme do organismo completamente, o infectado precisa de retratamento, que é danoso ao fígado. A epiisopiloturina, por outro lado, além de não tóxica ao organismo, é eficaz contra vermes jovens e adultos do Schistosoma mansoni“, explica Ana Carolina.

Ela diz ainda que a maioria das pesquisas, que têm como foco a esquistossomose, visam à prevenção e não ao tratamento da doença. “Basta pesquisar no site da Organização Mundial da Saúde [OMS] para ver que o tratamento e controle da esquistossomose são feitos somente pela administração do Praziquantel. Existem muitos pesquisadores que estudam a produção de vacinas contra a esquistossomose, mas não em relação a pessoas já infectadas”.

Novas etapas

No estudo teórico sobre a epiisopiloturina, disponível em artigo publicado na revista Plos Neglected Tropical Deseases, foi verificado que a molécula não causa qualquer tipo de mutação gênica.Porém, a substância não é perfeita, para ter o efeito desejado, a epiisopiloturina precisa ser ministrada em altas concentrações o que a torna desinteressante a laboratórios farmacêuticos que preferem a produção de medicamentos em pequenas concentrações.

Para sanar esse problema, os pesquisadores do estudo conseguiram apoio do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) para financiar parte do projeto. Assim, o próximo passo da pesquisa é desenvolver um fitoterápico a partir da epiisopiloturina. De acordo com Ana Carolina, serão realizados testes in vivo com animais de maior porte e análise da insolubilidade da epiisopiloturina em água.

Foto: Divulgação IFSC

Mais informações: (16) 3373-9770

Link:

Plantas medicinais: sobre os nomes populares - I

Texto:
Marcos Roberto Furlan - Engenheiro Agrônomo
Thais Marcondes Ferraz - Bióloga

No dia-a-dia usamos o nome popular para denominar as plantas medicinais, pois ele é de fácil memorização e muitas vezes indica alguma característica da planta, como, por exemplo, época em que ocorre com mais frequência (cipó-de-são-joão e erva-de-são-joão), local de origem (boldo-do-chile e aroeira-do-sertão), sabor (erva-doce, amargosa e erva-amarga), uma outra utilidade (vassourinha), cor da flor (picão-roxo e picão-branco), devido a abrir a flor em determinados horários (reloginho) e destacando seu poder medicinal (espinheira-santa e capim-santo).

Em alguns casos, os nomes já servem de alerta como comigo-ninguém-pode, mandioca-brava, urtiga-brava e figueira-do-inferno.

Também é comum utilizar nomes populares que copiam nome de remédios (aspirina, novalgina, ampicilina, insulina e cibalena, por exemplo) por serem utilizadas como plantas para as mesmas finalidades terapêuticas do medicamento alopático. Ou plantas que recebem denominações de outras que são famosas pelo uso, ou seja, há várias espécies que recebem o nome de arnica, algumas são denominadas de boldo, de melissa, de aroeira, dentre várias outras denominações.

Com relação aos nomes que são copiados de espécies famosas, a denominação arnica vem do nome científico Arnica montana, de origem europeia e rara no Brasil (figura 1). A palavra arnica, provavelmente derivada da palavra grega arnakis que significa pele de cordeiro, e foi dada em função do aspecto de suas folhas, isto é, macia e suave.

Em quase todas as regiões brasileiras há pelo menos uma planta que recebe o nome arnica. No Vale do Paraíba, Estado de São Paulo, há duas espécies que recebem este nome, a Porophyllum ruderale (figura 2) e a Solidago chilensis (figura 3). No próximo texto, serão fornecidos outros exemplos de arnicas e começaremos a tecer comentários sobre nomes indígenas e os seus significados.

Figura 1. Arnica montana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnica_montana#/media/File:Arnica_montana_-_K%C3%B6hler%E2%80%93s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-015.jpg

Figura 2. Porophyllum ruderale
Figura 3. Solidago chilensis 

Caderno das nossas plantas medicinais

Amapá - Centro de Plantas Medicinais e Produtos Naturais - CPMPN

O Instituto de Pesquisa Cientificas e Tecnológicas do Estado do Amapá – IEPA, através do Centro de Plantas Medicinais e Produtos Naturais – CPMPN, dentre suas atividades, realiza pesquisas e projetos na área de plantas medicinais e fitoterapia, buscando valorizar e difundir o uso destes recursos naturais, ratificando, desta forma, a viabilidade na inserção na rede de saúde publica local.

O conhecimento tradicional das comunidades locais do Estado foi a grande fonte de incentivo para que pudéssemos transformar através de tecnologias próprias, os recursos naturais do Estado, em especial as plantas medicinais e óleos vegetais, em fitoterapicos e fitocosmeticos de acordo com as técnicas de boas práticas de fabricação, agregando valor aos mesmos, devolvendo, assim, as comunidades produtos de qualidade, baixo custo e eficazes.

São 45 produtos elaborados com matérias-primas nativas da região obtidas através do extrativismo, cultivadas em área própria do IEPA e/ou fornecidas por pessoas das comunidades tradicionais. A coleta é realizada com supervisão técnica e controle de qualidade.

A diversidade de produtos desenvolvidos pelo laboratório de produção demonstra a viabilidade técnica, terapêutica, econômica e social da fitoterapia. O desempenho destes produtos reflete no aumento da demanda e no alto nível de satisfação demonstrado pela população atendida na farmácia e nos programas de avaliação terapêutica desenvolvido pelo Instituto.

Link:

EcoPostila - Transformar a Terra com Ana Folha e a Turma do Lixão (www.ideiasnamesa.unb.br)


 
Postado por 

Águas Claras - DF
6133545223 6133545223 

Organização/Instituição Promotora da Experiência: Microempreendedora formalizada pelo SEBRAE 

Área da Experiência: Educação, Saúde 

Niveis Atuacao: Federal/Nacional 

Setor da Organização/Instituição: Público 

Sujeito Idade: De 0 a 10 anos, 

Número Aproximado de Participantes da Experiência: 0-50 

Sujeito Caracteristica: Comunidade em geral, Profissionais da educação, Profissionais da saúde 

Tipo Local: Universidade/Faculdade 

Tipo Experiência: Atividade Lúdica e Artística, Aula, Curso, Dinâmica em Grupo, Material Audio-visual 

Temática: Produção agroecológica, Alimentos orgânicos, Agricultura urbana e hortas , Alimentação do escolar

Sobre A Iniciativa:

Desenho: Ana Folha e a Turma do Lixão

Autoria da EcoApostila:

Edson Silva e Luciana Ribeiro
Ilustração: Juliana Ribeiro

“A semente pode e deve ser regada com amor, paciência e sustentabilidade.”

A I Ecoapostila concretiza a construção de propostas pedagógicas e faz parte de uma rede de amigos (grupo Transformar a Terra e comunidade Ecopedagogia) que se prontificaram a zelar pelo planeta Terra. Ela estádisponível para os educadores e cidadãos brasileiros na versão PDF/Gratuita- no Blog Transformar a Terra e no Site Ecopedagogia.



Link:

Caderno Teórico e de Atividades - Educação Alimentar e Nutricional: o direito humano a alimentação adequada e o fortalecimento de vínculos familiares nos serviços socioassistenciais

postado por Débora Castilho em Quarta-feira, 20 de Maio de 2015

Caderno Teórico e de Atividades - Educação Alimentar e Nutricional: o direito humano a alimentação adequada e o fortalecimento de vínculos familiares nos serviços socioassistenciais


O Marco de Referência de Educação Alimentar e Nutricional (EAN) para as Políticas Públicas apoia os diferentes setores de governo em suas ações de EAN para que, dentro de seus contextos, possam alcançar o máximo de resultados possíveis. E segundo o Marco a EAN é um campo de conhecimento e de prática contínua e permanente, transdisciplinar, intersetorial e multiprofissional que visa promover a prática autônoma e voluntária de hábitos alimentares saudáveis.

Pensando que esta temática pode ser realizada por diversos atores que se proponham a contribuir com a garantia do Direito Humano à Alimentação Adequada (DHAA), o Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e Combate à Fome (MDS) através da Secretaria Nacional de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (SESAN) e Secretaria Nacional de Assistência Social (SNAS), elaboraram os cadernos de teoria e prática de Educação Alimentar e Nutricional visando o direito humano a alimentação adequada e o fortalecimento de vínculos familiares nos serviços socioassistenciais.

O documento tem por objetivo subsidiar o trabalho do profissional dos serviços socioassistenciais ao abordar a temática da EAN, de forma a trazer informações e reflexões fundamentais no sentido de contribuir para a qualidade de vida, a autonomia e o Direito Humano à Alimentação Adequada (DHAA), na perspectiva da Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (SAN), das famílias atendidas pelos serviços socioassistenciais.

Os cadernos visam delinear algumas possibilidades para a abordagem da EAN nos serviços socioassistenciais. Estas abordagens podem ser desenvolvidas por meio de atividades lúdicas, pedagógicas, culturais, de lazer, planejadas de maneira articulada e permanente, visando à melhoria da qualidade de vida, o usufruto dos direitos, e ainda à autoestima, o autocuidado e a autonomia, considerando as necessidades e potencialidades das famílias do território.

Caderno teórico:

O Caderno apresenta o conceito de SAN, DHAA, Alimentação Adequada e Saudável (AAS) e os princípios das ações de EAN, na perspectiva da SAN. No capítulo seguinte, apresenta embasamento teórico para abordagem da EAN de acordo com os ciclos da vida (criança, adolescente, adulto e idoso). O conteúdo apresentado no Caderno Teórico vem para auxiliar o desenvolvimento das atividades sugeridas no Caderno de atividades. Confira o Caderno Teórico na Biblioteca do Ideias, clicando na imagem abaixo: 
Caderno de atividades:

Apresenta sugestões de atividades de EAN para a abordagem nos serviços socioassistenciais. O Caderno sugere algumas atividades, baseadas no conteúdo do Caderno teórico, que podem ser realizadas com as famílias, considerando a realidade local. Nos serviços socioassistenciais, a temática EAN pode ser desenvolvida tanto em grupos específicos quanto intergeracionais, de maneira a favorecer mudanças alimentares voluntárias pelas famílias, quando necessário; bem como valorizar e fortalecer os hábitos alimentares saudáveis já adotados no contexto familiar, por meio da abordagem sobre os direitos, sobre segurança alimentar e nutricional e sobre as etapas do sistema alimentar (produção, abastecimento e consumo), valorização do consumo de alimentos tradicionais, produção para o autoconsumo (hortas domésticas e comunitárias), entre outros. Clique na imagem abaixo e confira o Caderno de Atividades em nossa biblioteca.
Vale ressaltar que o planejamento e abordagem da temática EAN para o fortalecimento de vínculos familiares nos serviços socioassistenciais, pode ser potencializado por meio de parcerias com setores públicos (rede de saúde, de educação, de agricultura, emprego e renda, etc.), privados (setor varejista de alimentos, setor de alimentação fora de casa, indústrias) e com a sociedade civil (cooperativas, associações, entidades comunitárias ou religiosas, conselhos, etc.).

Não deixe de conferir os Cadernos em nossa biblioteca! Divulgue e coloque em prática em sua comunidade!

Link:

“O T do transgênico não é para amedrontar, o T do transgênico é para informar”

“O T do transgênico não é para amedrontar, o T do transgênico é para informar”

Fonte: Ascom/Consea - Quinta-feira, 21 de Maio de 2015 


A presidenta do Conselho Nacional de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (Consea), Maria Emília Pacheco, concedeu entrevista à Rádio Nacional da Amazônia nesta quarta-feira (20). Convidada pela jornalista Beth Begonha, Maria Emília criticou o projeto que altera a rotulagem de transgênicos no país.

O Projeto de Lei 4148/08 foi aprovado na Câmara dos Deputados no último dia 28/04 e segue para análise no Senado. O Consea enviou uma recomendação ao Senado para não aprovar a retirada do símbolo de transgênico das embalagens. Maria Emília argumenta que há pesquisas que comprovam a relação entre o consumo de transgênicos e o crescimento de alergias. 

A presidenta do Consea defendeu o direito do consumidor de ser informado. ““O T do transgênico não é para amedrontar, o T do transgênico é para informar”, afirma Maria Emília.

O programa Amazônia Brasileira é veiculado diariamente, às 8h, na Rádio Nacional da Amazônia, em rede com a Rádio Nacional do Alto Solimões, onde é transmitido ao vivo às 5h.

Clique aqui para ouvir a entrevista na íntegra

Clique aqui para acessar a recomendação do Consea

Link:

Hepatite A


Plantas medicinales. El Dioscórides renovado

El libro de plantas medicinales más importante actualmente publicado es Plantas Medicinales: El Dioscórides Renovado, de Pío Font Quer.

Tanto el profesional como el aficionado utiliza esta publicación para aprender, consultar y ampliar el conocimiento de las plantas y de sus usos medicinales.

La referencia de la publicación es la siguiente:

"Plantas medicinales es una obra que, por su ambición y su envergadura, no tiene parangón dentro e incluso fuera de España. Tras más de veinte años de acopio de materiales y de investigaciones exhaustivas, el doctor Pío Font Quer nos ofrece una completísima guía de plantas medicinales, con más de 678 especies reseñadas, en la que atiende no sólo a la descripción, amplia e inteligible, de dichas plantas sino también a su identificación fehaciente y satisfactoria. Siendo estos los mayores logros del libro, no lo son menos el extenso índice de los nombres vernáculos de las plantas medicinales, su composición química, sus virtudes terapéuticas, su modo de empleo y un repaso de los estudios sobre cada especie desde los tiempos del médico griego Dioscórides (siglo I) y sus comentaristas Pietro Andrea Mattioli y Andrés Laguna . El texto propiamente dicho va precedido de una extensa introducción en la que se refiere minuciosamente la teeoría de la signatura, la hipótesis de trabajo que sirvió para los primeros ensayos acerca de las propiedades sanativas de las plantas y las principales vicisitudes por las que ha pasado el conocimiento de los remedios vegetales desde los tiempos antiguos hasta la actualidad. Realzada por su amplísima información gráfica y geográfica, que no deja ninguna especie importante sin su correspondiente figura, Plantas medicinales es un vademécum imprescindible no sólo para farmacéuticos, médicos, veterinarios, herbolarios y naturistas sino también para todas aquellas personas que deseen confeccionar sus propios remedios caseros."

Se puede comprar en Dioscórides renovado
Si quieres hacer consulta por internet tiene el Dioscórides interactivo
Link:

Tupinambá - o retorno da terra


http://reporterbrasil.org.br/retornodaterra/

Vitamin D levels predict survival chances for sick cats, study finds

Date: May 13, 2015

Source: University of Edinburgh

Summary:
Higher levels of vitamin D are linked to better survival chances for hospitalized pet cats, a study has found. The findings suggest that cats may hold vital clues about the health benefits of vitamin D.

Cats may hold vital clues about the health benefits of vitamin D, a study suggests.

Researchers found that higher levels of vitamin D are linked to better survival chances for hospitalized pet cats.

Cats could prove useful for investigating the complex link between vitamin D and a range of health problems that also affect people, the researchers say.

The findings may also help vets to give owners better advice about their pets' prognosis, according to researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

Researchers examined blood samples from 99 pet cats that were admitted to the University's Small Animal Hospital with life-threatening conditions.

With the owners' permission, the team checked the levels of vitamin D in the cats' blood on admission.

They found that cats with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood were more likely to be alive 30 days after admission than those with the lowest levels.

This could help vets to predict which animals are more likely to survive their illness.

The study highlights the need to understand more about whether vitamin D influences the risk of cats developing a disease and how it impacts on the outcome of their illness, the researchers say.

Vitamin D has been linked to helping a range of health problems in people, including cancer, infections and multiple sclerosis.

It is found in oily fish, cheese and egg yolks and is available as a supplement from health food stores.

Humans can also produce vitamin D in the skin after exposure to sunshine but cats can only obtain it from their food.

The research provides the foundations for studies to investigate whether adding vitamin D to hospitalised cats' diets improves their survival chances. The results of these studies could help to inform clinical trials of vitamin D supplements in people.

Dr Richard Mellanby, Head of Small Animal Medicine at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: "At the moment, it is difficult for veterinarians to offer accurate prognostic information to the owners of sick cats. Our study demonstrates that measuring a key vitamin D metabolite in the blood predicts disease outcome with a much greater degree of accuracy than many other many other widely used measures of disease severity.

"It is important to remember that too much vitamin D can be poisonous to cats. Most cat foods contain a standard amount of vitamin D and there is no need for owners to add supplements."

The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Edinburgh. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:
Helen Titmarsh, Scott Kilpatrick, Jennifer Sinclair, Alisdair Boag, Elizabeth F. Bode, Stephanie M. Lalor, Donna Gaylor, Jacqueline Berry, Nicholas X. Bommer, Danielle Gunn-Moore, Nikki Reed, Ian Handel, Richard J. Mellanby. Vitamin D Status Predicts 30 Day Mortality in Hospitalised Cats. PLOS ONE, 2015; 10 (5): e0125997 DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0125997

Cite This Page:
University of Edinburgh. "Vitamin D levels predict survival chances for sick cats, study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150513145608.htm>.

Link between vitamin E, exposure to air pollution

Date: May 15, 2015

Source: King's College London

Summary:
An association between the amount of vitamin E in the body, exposure to particulate pollution and lung function has been uncovered by a new study. The paper adds to growing evidence from previous studies suggesting that some vitamins may play a role in helping to protect the lungs from air pollution.

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Omega-3: Intervention for childhood behavioral problems?

Date: May 15, 2015

Source: University of Pennsylvania

Summary:
Omega-3, a fatty acid commonly found in fish oil, may have long-term neurodevelopmental effects that ultimately reduce antisocial and aggressive behavior problems in children, a new study suggests.

At the forefront of a field known as "neurocriminology," Adrian Raine of the University of Pennsylvania has long studied the interplay between biology and environment when it comes to antisocial and criminal behavior. With strong physiological evidence that disruption to the emotion-regulating parts of the brain can manifest in violent outbursts, impulsive decision-making and other behavioral traits associated with crime, much of Raine's research involves looking at biological interventions that can potentially ward off these behavioral outcomes.

A new study by Raine now suggests that omega-3, a fatty acid commonly found in fish oil, may have long-term neurodevelopmental effects that ultimately reduce antisocial and aggressive behavior problems in children.

He is a Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor with appointments in the School of Arts & Sciences and the Perelman School of Medicine.

Along with Raine, the study featured Jill Portnoy a graduate student in the Department of Criminology, and Jianghong Liu, an associate professor in the Penn School of Nursing. They collaborated with Tashneem Mahoomed of Mauritius' Joint Child Health Project and Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

It was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

When Raine was a graduate student, he, his advisor and colleagues conducted a longitudinal study of children in the small island nation of Mauritius. The researchers tracked the development of children who had participated in an enrichment program as 3-year-olds and also the development of children who had not participated. This enrichment program had additional cognitive stimulation, physical exercise and nutritional enrichment. At 11 years, the participants showed a marked improvement in brain function as measured by EEG, as compared to the non participants. At 23, they showed a 34 percent reduction in criminal behavior.

Raine and his colleagues were interested in teasing apart the mechanisms behind this improvement. Other studies suggested the nutritional component was worth a closer look.

"We saw children who had poor nutritional status at age 3 were more antisocial and aggressive at 8, 11 and 17," Raine said. "That made us look back at the intervention and see what stood out about the nutritional component. Part of the enrichment was that the children receiving an extra two and a half portions of fish a week."

Other research at the time was beginning to show that omega-3 is critical to brain development and function.

"Omega-3 regulates neurotransmitters, enhances the life of a neuron and increases dendritic branching, but our bodies do not produce it. We can only get it from the environment," Raine said.

Research on the neuroanatomy of violent criminals suggested this might be a place to intervene. Other brain-imaging researchers have shown that omega-3 supplementation increases the function of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region Raine found to have higher rates of damage or dysfunction in criminal offenders.

Raine's new study featured a randomized controlled trial where children would receive regular omega-3 supplements in the form of a juice drink. One hundred children, aged 8 to 16, would each receive a drink containing a gram of omega-3 once a day for six months, matched with 100 children who received the same drink without the supplement. The children and parents in both groups took a series of personality assessments and questionnaires at the start.

After six months, the researchers administered a simple blood test to see if the children in the experimental group had higher levels of omega-3 than those in the controls. They also had both parents and children take the personality assessments. Six months after that, the researchers had parents and children take the assessment again to see if there were any lasting effects from the supplements.

The assessments had parents rate their children on "externalizing" aggressive and antisocial behavior, such as getting into fights or lying, as well as "internalizing" behavior, such as depression, anxiety and withdrawal. Children were also asked to rate themselves on these traits.

While the children's self-reports remained flat for both groups, the average rate of antisocial and aggressive behavior as described by the parents dropped in both groups by the six-month point. Critically, however, those rates returned to the baseline for the control group but remained lowered in the experimental group, at the 12-month point.

"Compared to the baseline at zero months," Raine said, "both groups show improvement in both the externalizing and internalizing behavior problems after six months. That's the placebo effect.

"But what was particularly interesting was what was happening at 12 months. The control group returned to the baseline while the omega-3 group continued to go down. In the end, we saw a 42 percent reduction in scores on externalizing behavior and 62 percent reduction in internalizing behavior."

At both the six- and 12-month check-ins, parents also answered questionnaires about their own behavioral traits. Surprisingly, parents also showed an improvement in their antisocial and aggressive behavior. This could be explained by the parents taking some of their child's supplement, or simply because of a positive response to their child's own behavioral improvement.

The researchers caution that this is still preliminary work in uncovering the role nutrition plays in the link between brain development and antisocial behavior. The changes seen in the one-year period of the experiment may not last, and the results may not be generalizable outside the unique context of Mauritius.

Beyond these caveats, however, there is reason to further examine omega-3's role as a potential early intervention for antisocial behavior.

"As a protective factor for reducing behavior problems in children," Liu said, "nutrition is a promising option; it is relatively inexpensive and can be easy to manage."

Follow-up studies will include longer-term surveillance of children's behavioral traits and will investigate why their self-reports did not match the parental reports.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Pennsylvania. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:
Adrian Raine, Jill Portnoy, Jianghong Liu, Tashneem Mahoomed, Joseph R. Hibbeln. Reduction in behavior problems with omega-3 supplementation in children aged 8-16 years: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, stratified, parallel-group trial.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2015; 56 (5): 509 DOI:10.1111/jcpp.12314

Cite This Page:
University of Pennsylvania. "Omega-3: Intervention for childhood behavioral problems?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150515134827.htm>.

Grass plants can transport infectious prions

Date: May 15, 2015

Source:
University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonSummary:Grass plants can bind, uptake and transport infectious prions, according to researchers. Prions are the protein-based infectious agents responsible for a group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, which includes bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in cattle, scrapie in sheep, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk and moose. All are fatal brain diseases with incubation periods that last years.

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High salt intake may delay puberty

Date: May 17, 2015

Source: European Society of Endocrinology

Summary:
High salt diets may delay puberty. As the salt content of Western diets continues to increase these findings could have significant consequences for the reproductive health of future generations.
Rats fed a high salt diet (equivalent to 3 or 4 times the recommended daily allowance for humans) had a significant delay in reaching puberty compared to those fed a normal (low) salt diet. Interestingly, rats that had salt completely excluded from their diet also had delayed puberty.
Credit: © mizina / Fotolia

High salt diets may delay puberty according to a study presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Dublin. As the salt content of Western diets continues to increase these findings could have significant consequences for the reproductive health of future generations.

Researchers from University of Wyoming, USA led by Ms Dori Pitynski are investigating the effect of varying levels of dietary salt on the onset of puberty in rats. They found that rats fed a high salt diet (equivalent to 3 or 4 times the recommended daily allowance for humans) had a significant delay in reaching puberty compared to those fed a normal (low) salt diet. Interestingly, rats that had salt completely excluded from their diet also had delayed puberty.
Ms Pitynski and colleagues concluded that salt intake is necessary for onset of puberty but that excesses can affect reproductive health. Late onset of puberty can lead to behavioural problems, stress and reduced fertility.

To date, while work has been done on the effect of varying levels of dietary fats on puberty, nobody has yet looked at the effect of dietary salts. “Our work shows that high levels of fat and salt have opposite effects reproductive health” said Ms Pitynski. “High fat diet is thought to accelerate the onset of puberty but our work demonstrates that rats fed a high salt diet even with a high fat diet will still show a delay in puberty onset.”

Ms Pitynski, “our research highlights for the first time that the salt content of a diet has a more significant effect on reproductive health than the fat content.”

Recent guidelines from WHO state that populations around the world are consuming much more salt than is physiologically necessary, and certainly more that the WHO recommended daily allowance of 5 g of salt per day for adults.

Sodium is found naturally in a variety of foods, including milk, cream and eggs. It is also found, in much higher amounts, in processed foods, such as bread, processed meats like bacon, snack foods as well as in condiments such as soy sauce and stock cubes; which are becoming more prevalent in the Western diet. “Current salt-loading in Western populations has the potential to drastically affect reproductive health, and warrants further attention” said Ms Pitynski.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by European Society of Endocrinology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Cite This Page:
European Society of Endocrinology. "High salt intake may delay puberty." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150517071924.htm>.

Beyond the poppy: A new method of opium production

Date: May 18, 2015

Source: Concordia University

Summary:
Moonshiners and home-brewers have long used yeast to convert sugar into alcohol. New research shows that those methods could also be adapted for something with more significant ramifications: the production of drugs including opiates, antibiotics, and anti-cancer therapeutics.

Moonshiners and home-brewers have long used yeast to convert sugar into alcohol. New research shows that those methods could also be adapted for something with more significant ramifications: the production of drugs including opiates, antibiotics, and anti-cancer therapeutics.

According to new studies by researchers from Concordia University in Montreal and the University of California, Berkeley, yeast can be engineered to convert sugar to alkaloids -- plant-derived compounds such as codeine and morphine, naturally produced in the opium poppy.

Collaborating on synthesis

Thanks to research by teams led by Vincent Martin at Concordia and John Dueber at UC Berkeley, the key steps needed to make yeast able to produce alkaloids from inexpensive sugar have been identified.

In a new study published in Nature Chemical Biology the researchers were able to synthesize reticuline, a compound from which most alkaloids derive, including the opiates morphine and codeine as well as many other potential new drugs.

"Getting to reticuline is critical for the process to be economically viable because from there, most of the molecular steps that produce codeine and morphine have been identified in yeast," says Martin, who is a professor of microbial genomics and engineering at Concordia. "We can explore many different paths to other potential drugs, not just opiates."

The proof is in the yeast

In a related study published in PLoS ONE, Martin and his group also engineered yeast for the production of thebaine, a precursor of codeine, morphine and oxycodone, from reticuline. This work further proves that yeast could revolutionize the way complex compounds like alkaloids will be produced in the future.

Demonstrating that yeast can make valuable known pharmaceuticals is only the beginning. The ultimate goal is to create new complex compounds with therapeutic effects that aren't naturally produced in high enough volumes to meet demand.

Together, these new studies describe the almost complete process to make opiates from sugar.

Red flag for regulators

Prior to these studies, opiates could only be made from expensive starting molecules, most of which are currently regulated as controlled substances and therefore not readily available without strict permits from governmental agencies.

Martin and Dueber are conscious of the serious implications of their discovery: it allows for the potential of "home-brewing" opioids. They are calling for regulators and law enforcement officials to pay close attention.

"We're likely looking at a timeline of a couple of years, not a decade or more, when sugar-fed yeast could reliably produce a controlled substance," says Dueber. "We need a common regulatory effort from governments, law officials and the scientific community to prevent misuse and allow the research to continue. The field is moving surprisingly fast, and we need to be out in front so that we can mitigate the potential for abuse."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Concordia University. The original article was written by Cléa Desjardins. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:
William C DeLoache, Zachary N Russ, Lauren Narcross, Andrew M Gonzales, Vincent J J Martin & John E Dueber. An enzyme-coupled biosensor enables (S)-reticuline production in yeast from glucose.Nature Chemical Biology, May 2015 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1816

Cite This Page:
Concordia University. "Beyond the poppy: A new method of opium production." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150518121801.htm>.

Agriculture, declining mobility drove humans' shift to lighter bones

Date: May 18, 2015

Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine

Summary:
Modern lifestyles have famously made humans heavier, but, in one particular way, noticeably lighter weight than our hunter-gatherer ancestors: in the bones. Now a new study of the bones of hundreds of humans who lived during the past 33,000 years in Europe finds the rise of agriculture and a corresponding fall in mobility drove the change, rather than urbanization, nutrition or other factors.
These are cross-sections of an Upper Paleolithic, left, and Early Medieval, right, thigh bone, showing the change in bone shape and reduction in strength in the later individual.
Credit: Study authors

Modern lifestyles have famously made humans heavier, but, in one particular way, noticeably lighter weight than our hunter-gatherer ancestors: in the bones. Now a new study of the bones of hundreds of humans who lived during the past 33,000 years in Europe finds the rise of agriculture and a corresponding fall in mobility drove the change, rather than urbanization, nutrition or other factors.

The discovery is reported in the early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of May 18. It sheds light, researchers say, on a monumental change that has left modern humans susceptible to osteoporosis, a condition marked by brittle and thinning bones.

At the root of the finding, the researchers say, is the knowledge that putting bones under the "stress" of walking, lifting and running leads them to pack on more calcium and grow stronger.

"There was a lot of evidence that earlier humans had stronger bones and that weight-bearing exercise in modern humans prevents bone loss, but we didn't know whether the shift to weaker bones over the past 30,000 years or so was driven by the rise in agriculture, diet, urbanization, domestication of the horse or other lifestyle changes," says Christopher Ruff, Ph.D. , a professor of functional anatomy and evolution at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

"By analyzing many arm and leg bone samples from throughout that time span, we found that European humans' bones grew weaker gradually as they developed and adopted agriculture and settled down to a more sedentary lifestyle, and that moving into cities and other factors had little impact."

The study was a collaborative effort of researchers from across Europe and the United States that began in 2008. The group focused on Europe because it has many well-studied archeological sites, Ruff says, and because the population has relatively little genetic variation, despite some population movements. That meant that any changes observed could be attributed more to lifestyle than to genetics.

For the study, the researchers took molds of bones from museums' collections and used a portable X-ray machine to scan them, focusing on two major bones from the legs and one from the arms. "By comparing the lower limbs with the upper limbs, which are little affected by how much walking or running a person does, we could determine whether the changes we saw were due to mobility or to something else, like nutrition," Ruff says.

When they analyzed the geometry of bones over time, the researchers found a decline in leg bone strength between the Mesolithic era, which began about 10,000 years ago, and the age of the Roman Empire, which began about 2,500 years ago. Arm bone strength, however, remained fairly steady. "The decline continued for thousands of years, suggesting that people had a very long transition from the start of agriculture to a completely settled lifestyle," Ruff says. "But by the medieval period, bones were about the same strength as they are today."

Ruff notes that Paleolithic-style bones are still likely achievable, at least for younger humans, if they recreate to some extent the lifestyle of their ancestors, notably doing a lot more walking than their peers. He cites studies of professional athletes that have demonstrated how lifestyle is written in our bones. "The difference in bone strength between a professional tennis player's arms is about the same as that between us and Paleolithic humans," he says.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:
Christopher B. Ruff, Brigitte Holt, Markku Niskanen, Vladimir Sladek, Margit Berner, Evan Garofalo, Heather M. Garvin, Martin Hora, Juho-Antti Junno, Eliska Schuplerova, Rosa Vilkama, and Erin Whittey.Gradual decline in mobility with the adoption of food production in Europe. PNAS, May 18, 2015 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1502932112

Cite This Page:
Johns Hopkins Medicine. "Agriculture, declining mobility drove humans' shift to lighter bones." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150518163836.htmnutr>.

Association between teen sleep patterns, alcohol or marijuana use

Date :May 18, 2015

Source: RAND Corporation

Summary:
Studying adolescents in Southern California, researchers found that the link between sleep and alcohol/marijuana use was consistent even after controlling for other known risk factors, such as depression. For every 10 minutes later that teens went to bed, there was a 6 percent increased risk of alcohol or marijuana use in the previous month. In addition, teens who reported significant trouble sleeping were 55 percent more likely to have used alcohol in the past month.

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Smoking marijuana may cause early puberty and stunts growth in boys

Date: May 18, 2015

Source: European Society of Endocrinology

Summary:
Boys who smoke marijuana go through puberty earlier but grow more slowly than those who have never smoked the drug according to a new study.

Boys who smoke marijuana go through puberty earlier but grow more slowly than those who have never smoked the drug according to a study presented today at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Dublin, Ireland. The findings will lead to a better understanding of the dangers of drug abuse on growth and development of children.

Scientists at the Pir Mehr Ali Shah Agriculture University Rawalpindi in Pakistan studied the levels of certain hormones involved in growth and puberty in the blood of 220 non-smoking and 217 marijuana-addicted boys. Levels of puberty-related hormones such as testosterone and luteinising hormone (LH) were increased in the marijuana smokers. In contrast, growth hormone levels were decreased in this group. It was also found that non-smoking boys were on average 4 kg heavier and 4.6 inches taller by the age of 20 than the marijuana smokers.

The research team, led by Dr. Syed Shakeel Raza Rizvi, also looked at the effect of smoking marijuana on levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in 10 marijuana addicts; they found that marijuana smokers have significantly higher levels of cortisol than non-smokers. Dr Rizvi hypothesises that, ―marijuana use may provoke a stress response that stimulates onset of puberty but suppresses growth rate.

Marijuana is the most widely available illicit drug in Europe, it is estimated that it has been used by 80.5 million Europeans at least once in their life. The latest report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) reveals that the highest prevalence of marijuana use is in 15 -- 24 year olds and is significantly higher among males than females. Previous studies have looked at the effect of smoking marijuana in adult rats and humans but this is the first time that the effects have been looked at in pubertal boys.

The research may have a wider impact than just health. ―Early puberty is associated with younger age of onset of drinking and smoking, and early matures have higher levels of substance abuse because they enter the risk period at an early level of emotional maturity,‖ explained Dr. Rizvi.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by European Society of Endocrinology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Cite This Page:
European Society of Endocrinology. "Smoking marijuana may cause early puberty and stunts growth in boys." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150518191604.htm>.

Sunshine alone not enough for vitamin D during pregnancy

Date: May 18, 2015

Source: European Society of Endocrinology

Summary:
Despite high levels of sunshine, low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are common in Mediterranean women according to a new study. This finding should help lower the prevalence of early childhood diseases associated with Vitamin D deficiency such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, disorders in bone formation, higher risk of emergency caesarean delivery and premature birth.

Despite high levels of sunshine, low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are common in Mediterranean women according to a study presented today at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Dublin. This finding should help lower the prevalence of early childhood diseases associated with Vitamin D deficiency such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, disorders in bone formation, higher risk of emergency caesarean delivery and premature birth.

It's commonly believed that sun exposure is key to maintaining normal levels of vitamin D and therefore assumed that Mediterranean women are at lower risk of hypovitaminosis than those from Northern Europe. However in countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey, Vitamin D deficiency occurs in up to 90 % of pregnant populations.

This study shows that racial, social and cultural habits counteract the benefits of sun exposure on Vitamin D levels. Dr Karras Spiros and colleagues at the Aristotle University of Thesaloniki, Greece carried out a systematic review of vitamin D levels in 2,649 pregnant women and 1,802 newborn babies. They studied the effect of a number of different factors including, age, body mass index, race, socioeconomic status, skin types, period of gestation, sun exposure, calcium and vitamin D intake, smoking status, time of year of birth and pregnancy complications. They found that the best predictors of maternal vitamin D deficiency were dark skin, race and dress habits.

Dr Karras said, ―Pregnant women with vitamin D deficiencies may be at greater risk of various problems and complications, both for themselves and their babies. It's imperative for pregnant women and the medical community at large, to recognise the importance of vitamin D in overall health.

Ideally, the next stage of the research is to implement systematic screening for maternal hypovitaminosis and supplementation in a large scale European project. ―We are excited about the potential of integrating testing and supplementation into medical practice, making it a standard of care across Europe‖ said Dr Karras. ―Keeping future mothers healthy and giving babies the best start at life, may help EU health programmes for Southern European Countries to achieve their mission to reduce infant mortality and the number of low birth weight babies.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by European Society of Endocrinology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Cite This Page:
European Society of Endocrinology. "Sunshine alone not enough for vitamin D during pregnancy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150518191606.htm>.

Omega-3 fatty acids enhance cognitive flexibility in at-risk older adults

Date: May 19, 2015

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Summary:
A study of older adults at risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease found that those who consumed more omega-3 fatty acids did better than their peers on tests of cognitive flexibility -- the ability to efficiently switch between tasks -- and had a bigger anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region known to contribute to cognitive flexibility.

A study of older adults at risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease found that those who consumed more omega-3 fatty acids did better than their peers on tests of cognitive flexibility -- the ability to efficiently switch between tasks -- and had a bigger anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region known to contribute to cognitive flexibility.

The analysis suggests, but does not prove, that consuming DHA and EPA, two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, enhanced cognitive flexibility in these adults in part by beefing up the anterior cingulate cortex, the researchers report in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

"Recent research suggests that there is a critical link between nutritional deficiencies and the incidence of both cognitive impairment and degenerative neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease," said University of Illinois neuroscience, psychology, and speech and hearing science professor Aron Barbey, who led the study with M.D./Ph.D. student Marta Zamroziewicz. "Our findings add to the evidence that optimal nutrition helps preserve cognitive function, slow the progression of aging and reduce the incidence of debilitating diseases in healthy aging populations."

The researchers focused on aspects of brain function that are sometimes overlooked in research on aging, Zamroziewicz said. "A lot of work in cognitive aging focuses on memory, but in fact cognitive flexibility and other executive functions have been shown to better predict daily functioning than memory does," she said.

"Executive function" describes processes like planning, reasoning, paying attention, problem solving, impulse control and task switching.

"These functions tend to decline earlier than other cognitive functions in aging," Zamroziewicz said.

The new research built on previous studies that found associations between omega-3 fatty acid consumption, cognitive flexibility and the size of the anterior cingulate cortex.

"There's been some work to show that omega-3 fatty acids benefit cognitive flexibility, and there's also been work showing that cognitive flexibility is linked to this specific brain region, the anterior cingulate. But there's been very little work actually connecting these pieces," Zamroziewicz said.

The new study focused on 40 cognitively healthy older adults between the ages of 65 and 75 who are carriers of a gene variant (APOE e4) that is known to contribute to the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers tested participants' cognitive flexibility, measured levels of the fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in their blood, and imaged their brains using MRI. Statistical analyses teased out the relationships between these factors.

"We wanted to confirm that higher omega-3 fatty acids related to better cognitive flexibility, and we did in fact see that," Zamroziewicz said. "We also wanted to confirm that higher omega-3 fatty acids related to higher volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, and we saw that. Finally, we were able to show that higher volume in the anterior cingulate cortex was an intermediary in the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and cognitive flexibility."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:
Aron Barbey et al. Anterior cingulate cortex mediates the relationship between O3PUFAs and executive functions in APOE e4 carriers. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, May 2015 DOI:10.3389/fnagi.2015.00087

Cite This Page:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Omega-3 fatty acids enhance cognitive flexibility in at-risk older adults." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150519084322.htm>.