QUINTAIS IMORTAIS

McGill University. "Nutritionally-speaking, soy milk is best plant-based milk: Closest to cow's milk in range of nutrients it offers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 January 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180129131311.htm>.

Vitamin deficiency 'puts cancer cells into hibernation'

Date: January 29, 2018 Source: University of Salford Summary: A new potential therapeutic agent called DPI effectively switches off cancer stem cells, preventing their proliferation, according to new research.

A new potential therapeutic agent, diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI), effectively switches off cancer stem cells, preventing their proliferation, researchers report.

"It's extraordinary; the cells just sit there as if in a state of suspended animation," explains Professor Michael Lisanti, Chair of Translational Medicine and lead investigator.

The discovery is significant because the drug halts the propagation of cancer stem cells without causing the toxic side-effects normally associated with more conventional chemotherapy.

Reporting their laboratory findings in the journal Aging, the team observed that addition of DPI to a mixed population of cells eliminated the tumour initiating cancer stem cells. However, the drug was non-toxic for "bulk" cancer cells, which are not thought to be cancer-forming.

The authors describe how DPI targets more than 90 protein enzymes which feed mitochondria and help generate the cell's energy. Specifically, DPI works as an inhibitor of Vitamin B2 -- Riboflavin -- starving the cells of the energy.

"Our observation is that DPI is selectively attacking the cancer stem cells, by effectively creating a vitamin deficiency," explained Professor Lisanti. "In other words, by turning off energy production in cancer stem cells, we are creating a process of hibernation.

"The beauty of this is that DPI makes the cancer stem cells metabolically-inflexible, so they will be highly susceptible to a many other drugs."

Chemotherapy produces many nasty side-effects, because it helps create toxic free radicals. However, DPI did not increase free radicals.

The Salford team -- which specialises in the discovery new non-toxic therapies -- and has published substantially on the anti-cancer impacts of Vitamin C and antibiotics -- is calling the discovery the start of a new type of chemotherapy, and they even have a name for it 'Mitoflavoscins'.

"In terms of chemotherapies for cancer, we clearly need something better that what we have at present, and this is hopefully the beginning of an alternative approach to halting cancer stem cells," commented Professor Federica Sotgia, a co-author of the study.

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Salford. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Bela Ozsvari, Gloria Bonuccelli, Rosa Sanchez-Alvarez, Richard Foster, Federica Sotgia, Michael P. Lisanti. Targeting flavin-containing enzymes eliminates cancer stem cells (CSCs), by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration: Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) in cancer therapy. Aging, 2017; DOI: 10.18632/aging.101351

Cite This Page:

University of Salford. "Vitamin deficiency 'puts cancer cells into hibernation'." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 January 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180129145837.htm>.

Mediterranean diet may help women receiving IVF to achieve successful pregnancies

Date: January 29, 2018 Source: European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Summary: New research has found that women who follow a 'Mediterranean' diet in the six months before assisted reproductive treatment have a significantly better chance of becoming pregnant and giving birth to a live baby than women who did not.

New research has found that women who follow a "Mediterranean" diet in the six months before assisted reproductive treatment have a significantly better chance of becoming pregnant and giving birth to a live baby than women who did not.

Researchers asked women about their diet before they underwent in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment and found that those who ate more fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil, and less red meat, had a 65-68% greater likelihood of achieving a successful pregnancy and birth compared to women with the lowest adherence to the Mediterranean-style diet.

The study, which is published today (Tuesday) in Human Reproduction, focused on dietary patterns rather than individual nutrients, foods or food groups. It assessed the diet of 244 women via a food frequency questionnaire when they enrolled at an Assisted Conception Unity in Athens, Greece, for their first IVF treatment. The questionnaire asked them about how often they ate certain groups of food in the preceding six months; the results gave the women a MedDiet Score, which ranged from 0-55 with higher scores indicating greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The women were aged between 22-41 and were non-obese (body mass index of less than 30 kg/m2).

Researchers, led by Associate Professor Nikos Yiannakouris at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Harokopio University of Athens, divided the women into three groups depending on their MedDiet Score: the first group had scores between 18 to 30, the second scored between 31-35 and the third group scored between 36 to 47.

They found that compared to the 86 women in the highest scoring group, the 79 women in the lowest scoring group had significantly lower rates of pregnancies (29% versus 50%) and live births (26.6% versus 48.8%). When the researchers looked at women younger than 35 years old, they found that every five-point improvement in the MedDiet Score was linked with an approximately 2.7 times higher likelihood of achieving a successful pregnancy and live birth.

Overall, 229 women (93.9%) had at least one embryo transferred to their wombs; 138 (56%) had a successful implantation; 104 (42.6%) achieved a clinical pregnancy (one that can be confirmed by ultrasound); and 99 (40.5%) gave birth to a live baby.

"The important message from our study is that women attempting fertility should be encouraged to eat a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, because greater adherence to this healthy dietary pattern may help increase the chances of successful pregnancy and delivering a live baby," said Prof Yiannakouris.

"It should be noted that when it comes to conceiving a baby, diet and lifestyle are just as important for men as for women. Previous work from our research group among the male partners of our study has suggested that adherence to the Mediterranean diet may also help improve semen quality. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of dietary influences and diet quality on fertility, and support a favourable role for the Mediterranean diet on assisted reproduction performance."

The researchers did not find any association between diet and the chances of successful pregnancies and live births among women aged 35 and older. However, they believe this is because hormonal changes, fewer available eggs and other changes that women experience as they get older could mask the influences of environmental factors such as diet.

Prof Yiannakouris said: "The fact that in our study a favourable effect of the Mediterranean diet was evident only among women younger than 35 years doesn't mean that eating a healthy diet is not as important for older women. Our results suggest the need for additional research not only among older women, but also among women with obesity problems and in women conceiving naturally."

The researchers say that their findings cannot be generalised to all women trying to become pregnant, nor to obese women or women attending other infertility clinics around the world. They point out that their findings show that a Mediterranean diet is only linked to improved IVF outcomes and they cannot show that it causes the improved chances of pregnancy and birth.

"Our findings provide support that couples undergoing infertility treatment may benefit by adhering to the Mediterranean diet (a diet widely accepted for its positive effects on human health); however, whether or not advice to adhere more closely to this traditional diet would improve assisted reproduction performance needs to be addressed in future intervention studies. Moreover, our results should be explored and confirmed in other populations within and beyond the Mediterranean region. Clearly more research and intervention studies are needed to elucidate the role of diet quality in assisted reproductive performance, to reveal underlying mechanisms, and for developing nutritional guidelines for women to further improve fertility treatment and success rates.

"As more couples worldwide face infertility problems and seek access to assisted reproduction technologies to conceive, it is essential for them to receive counselling on the importance of dietary influences and of adopting a healthy lifestyle," concluded Prof Yiannakouris.

Story Source:

Materials provided by European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal References:

Dimitrios Karayiannis, Meropi D Kontogianni, Christina Mendorou, Minas Mastrominas, Nikos Yiannakouris. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and IVF success rate among non-obese women attempting fertility. Human Reproduction, 2018; DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dey003

Dimitrios Karayiannis, Meropi D. Kontogianni, Christina Mendorou, Lygeri Douka, Minas Mastrominas, Nikos Yiannakouris. Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and semen quality parameters in male partners of couples attempting fertility. Human Reproduction, 2016; DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dew288

Cite This Page:

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. "Mediterranean diet may help women receiving IVF to achieve successful pregnancies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 January 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180129223846.htm>.

Fish oil and probiotic supplements in pregnancy may reduce risk of childhood allergies

Date: February 28, 2018 Source: Imperial College London Summary: Women who take fish oil supplements and probiotics in later pregnancy may reduce their child's risk of food allergy and eczema, according to new research.

In one of the largest ever research reports of how a pregnant woman's diet affects her baby's allergy and eczema risk, scientists from Imperial College London assessed over 400 studies involving 1.5 million people.

As part of the study, they found that when pregnant women took a daily fish oil capsule from 20 weeks pregnant, and during the first three to four months of breastfeeding, risk of egg allergy in the child was reduced by 30 per cent.

The team, who were commissioned by the Food Standards Agency, also found that taking a daily probiotic supplement from 36-38 weeks pregnant, and during the first three to six months of breastfeeding, reduced the risk of a child developing eczema by 22 per cent.

The researchers, who published their meta-analysis in the journal PLOS Medicine, found no evidence that avoiding potentially allergenic foods such as nuts, dairy and eggs during pregnancy made a difference to a child's allergy or eczema risk.

Dr Robert Boyle, lead author of the research from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, explained: "Food allergies and eczema in children are a growing problem across the world. Although there has been a suggestion that what a woman eats during pregnancy may affect her baby's risk of developing allergies or eczema, until now there has never been such a comprehensive analysis of the data."

He added: "Our research suggests probiotic and fish oil supplements may reduce a child's risk of developing an allergic condition, and these findings need to be considered when guidelines for pregnant women are updated."

The team also assessed a host of dietary factors during pregnancy including fruit, vegetable and vitamin intake, but found no clear evidence that any of these affected allergy or eczema risk.

Allergies to foods, such as nuts, egg, milk or wheat, affect around one in 20 children in the UK. They are caused by the immune system malfunctioning and over-reacting to these harmless foods. This triggers symptoms such as rashes, swelling, vomiting and wheezing.

Eczema affects around one in five children in the UK, and causes dry, cracked and itchy skin. The causes of eczema and allergies are not fully understood, but allergies are more common in people who suffer from eczema.

More research is now needed to understand how probiotics and fish oils may reduce allergy and eczema risk, said Dr Vanessa Garcia-Larsen, co-author of the study from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial: "Despite allergies and eczema being on the rise, and affecting millions of children, we are still hunting for the root causes of these conditions, and how to prevent them."

Dr Garcia-Larsen, who is also based at John Hopkins University, added: "This study has provided clues, which we now need to follow with further research."

In the current study, the team assessed 28 trials of probiotic supplements during pregnancy, involving around 6,000 women. Probiotics contain live bacteria that may influence the natural balance of bugs in the gut. Previous research has linked a disruption in naturally-occurring bacteria to allergy risk.

In the research, probiotics were taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding as a capsule, powder or drink (most yogurts do not contain enough probiotic). They were found to reduce the risk of a child developing eczema -- between the ages of six months to three years -- by 22 per cent. This is the equivalent of 44 cases of eczema per 1000 children.

The scientists added that the probiotics, which mostly contained a bacterium called Lactobacillus rhamnosus, were not used in early pregnancy.

The team also assessed around 19 trials of fish oil supplements during pregnancy, involving around 15,000 people. These studies revealed a 30 per cent reduction in risk of egg allergy by age one, which equates to a reduction of 31 cases of egg allergy per 1000 children.

Egg allergy was tested with a skin test, where a tiny amount of egg is pricked onto the skin.

In the studies using fish oil supplements, the capsules contained a standard dose of omega-3 fatty acids (another type of fatty acid, called omega-6, was not found to have any effect on allergy risk).

Dr Boyle added that previous research suggests fish oils may help dampen down the immune system, and prevent it from over-reacting.

Most of the trials used supplements, although one involved eating oily fish, and a few others used non-fish oils such as nut oils. The Department of Health advises women to eat no more than two portions of oily fish a week, and to avoid shark, swordfish or marlin as these contain high levels of mercury.

The team also found that taking fish oil supplements during pregnancy reduced the child's risk of peanut allergy by 38 per cent. However they caution this finding was based only on two studies, and not as reliable as the egg allergy and eczema results.

The study also revealed some evidence for links between longer duration of breast feeding and a reduced risk of eczema, and breastfeeding was also linked with a lower risk of type one diabetes.

The findings of this study, funded by the Food Standards Agency, are being considered by the Government alongside the wider evidence base on infant feeding and the introduction of solids. As part of the cross-government review of complementary feeding, the risks and benefits associated with the timing of introduction of allergenic foods will also be considered.

The Food Standards Agency advises that families should continue to follow the current Government advice to exclusively breastfeed for around the first six months of age, and continue breastfeeding thereafter. Solid foods should be introduced into the infant diet at around six months of age. Pregnant women should also continue to follow government dietary and supplement advice.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Imperial College London. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Vanessa Garcia-Larsen, Despo Ierodiakonou, Katharine Jarrold, Sergio Cunha, Jennifer Chivinge, Zoe Robinson, Natalie Geoghegan, Alisha Ruparelia, Pooja Devani, Marialena Trivella, Jo Leonardi-Bee, Robert J. Boyle. Diet during pregnancy and infancy and risk of allergic or autoimmune disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS Medicine, 2018; 15 (2): e1002507 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002507

Cite This Page:

Imperial College London. "Fish oil and probiotic supplements in pregnancy may reduce risk of childhood allergies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 February 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180228144448.htm>.

Nut consumption may aid colon cancer survival

Colon cancer recurrence nearly cut in half in people who eat nuts

Date: February 28, 2018 Source: Yale University Summary: People with stage III colon cancer who regularly eat nuts are at significantly lower risk of cancer recurrence and mortality than those who don't, according to a new, large study.

People with stage III colon cancer who regularly eat nuts are at significantly lower risk of cancer recurrence and mortality than those who don't, according to a new, large study led by researchers at Yale Cancer Center.

The findings were published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The study followed 826 participants in a clinical trial for a median of 6.5 years after they were treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Those who regularly consumed at least two, one-ounce servings of nuts each week demonstrated a 42% improvement in disease-free survival and a 57% improvement in overall survival.

"Further analysis of this cohort revealed that disease-free survival increased by 46% among the subgroup of nut consumers who ate tree nuts rather than peanuts," said Charles S. Fuchs, M.D., M.P.H., director of Yale Cancer Center and senior author of the study. Tree nuts include almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans, among others. In contrast, peanuts are actually in the legumes family of foods.

"These findings are in keeping with several other observational studies that indicate that a slew of healthy behaviors, including increased physical activity, keeping a healthy weight, and lower intake of sugar and sweetened beverages, improve colon cancer outcomes," said Temidayo Fadelu, M.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and lead author of the paper. "The results highlight the importance of emphasizing dietary and life-style factors in colon cancer survivorship."

Additionally, the researchers emphasized, the study highlighted connections between biological mechanisms that worsen disease not just in colon cancer but in certain chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes.

Many previous studies have reported that nuts, among other health benefits, may help to reduce insulin resistance, a condition in which the body has difficulty processing the insulin hormone. Insulin resistance leads to unhealthy levels of sugar in the blood and is often a predecessor to type 2 diabetes and related illnesses.

Earlier research among patients with colon cancer has revealed worse outcomes among those with lifestyle factors that heighten insulin resistance, such as obesity, lack of exercise, and a diet with high levels of carbohydrates that quickly raise levels of blood sugar.

"These studies support the hypothesis that behaviors that make you less insulin resistant, including eating nuts, seem to improve outcomes in colon cancer," Fuchs said. "However, we don't know yet what exactly about nuts is beneficial."

Nuts also might play a positive role by satisfying hunger with less intake of carbohydrates or other foods associated with poor outcomes, Fuchs noted.

Patients may not be eating nuts due to concerns about the high fat content. For example, a one-ounce serving of about 24 almonds holds about 200 calories, including 14 grams of fat. "People ask me if increasing nut consumption will lead to obesity, which leads to worse outcomes," he said. "But what's really interesting is that in our studies, and across the scientific literature in general, regular consumers of nuts tend to be leaner."

Dietary changes can make a difference. An earlier analysis of diets in the same patient cohort by Fuchs and his colleagues found a significant link between coffee consumption and reduced recurrence and mortality in colon cancer.

When Fuchs advises his patients about lifestyle choices, "first and foremost I talk about avoiding obesity, exercising regularly and staying away from a high-carbohydrate diet," he said. "Then we talk about things like coffee and nuts. If you like coffee or nuts, enjoy them, and if you don't, there are many other helpful steps you can take."

"Overall, we are working to apply the same rigorous science to the understanding of diet and lifestyles in the colon cancer patient population that we apply to defining new drugs," Fuchs said.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Yale University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Temidayo Fadelu, Sui Zhang, Donna Niedzwiecki, Xing Ye, Leonard B. Saltz, Robert J. Mayer, Rex B. Mowat, Renaud Whittom, Alexander Hantel, Al B. Benson, Daniel M. Atienza, Michael Messino, Hedy L. Kindler, Alan Venook, Shuji Ogino, Kimmie Ng, Kana Wu, Walter Willett, Edward Giovannucci, Jeffrey Meyerhardt, Ying Bao, Charles S. Fuchs. Nut Consumption and Survival in Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer: Results From CALGB 89803 (Alliance). Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2018; JCO.2017.75.541 DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2017.75.5413

Cite This Page:

Yale University. "Nut consumption may aid colon cancer survival: Colon cancer recurrence nearly cut in half in people who eat nuts." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 February 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180228160438.htm>.

Spicing it up: High school students may prefer seasoned veggies over plain

Date: March 6, 2018 Source: Penn State Summary: High school students may prefer seasoned vegetables more than plain, according to researchers who hope that this will lead to students liking and eating more veggies, and result in less food waste in school.

High school students prefer vegetables seasoned with herbs and spices, rather than plain veggies, according to Penn State researchers, who add this may lead to students liking and eating more vegetables, and result in less food waste in schools.

The researchers asked high school students to rate the taste of a variety of vegetables seasoned with either oil and salt or a blend of herbs and spices developed specifically for each vegetable. The majority of the students preferred the seasoned version of most of the veggies, despite the fact that many of the seasoning blends were new to them.

Kathleen Keller, associate professor of nutritional sciences, said that schools that serve vegetables that are more appealing my ultimately cut down on the amount of food that is thrown out.

"Despite the fact that many of the kids hadn't previously been exposed to a lot of different herbs and spices, our results showed that they liked and preferred the seasoned vegetables over the plain ones," Keller said. "I think that if schools were to implement these simple recipes, they might have more success than if they just serve vegetables with oil and salt or nothing at all."

Eating enough vegetables is essential for good health: Consuming a lot of veggies has been linked with a reduced risk of both heart disease and some cancers. But while the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that teens between the ages of 14 and 18 eat between two-and-a-half and four cups of vegetables a day, the researchers said only about 2 percent of American adolescents eat enough.

Schools in the United States that participate in the National School Lunch Program have to follow federal guidelines for what they serve for lunch, including offering a variety of vegetables throughout the week and limiting fat and salt. But offering vegetables doesn't guarantee students will eat them, and discarded vegetables can add up to a lot of wasted food.

"When we talked to the students, we learned the most important thing to them when it came to eating vegetables was the taste," Keller said. "For the school lunch food service workers, they were worried about sticking to the federal guidelines, food waste and making food kids will like without recipes to work from."

The researchers gave the students taste tests to measure how much they liked a variety of plain versus seasoned vegetables. The plain vegetables were prepared with a small amount of oil and salt, while the seasoned vegetables were prepared with a seasoning blend specifically developed for each vegetable. For example, the corn and peas were seasoned with a blend designed to mimic the flavor of nachos.

Taste tests were held for eight different vegetables, with about 100 students participating in each test. All recipes used either frozen or canned vegetables, to make them easy to replicate by the school's food service workers.

The researchers found that overall, the students preferred the seasoned version of the vegetables, except for the sweet potatoes. The seasoned versions of corn and peas, black beans and corn, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, and carrots were all rated as better tasting than the plain versions.

Juliana Fritts, graduate student in food science, said in addition to being more appealing to students, another benefit was that the seasonings were developed specifically with school dietary guidelines in mind.

"The guidelines have limits for how much salt and fat can be used in each meal, so that's part of the reason why the school was serving the vegetables plain, to stay within those guidelines," Fritts said. "These blends and recipes were developed specifically within these guidelines, so schools don't have to worry if it will make them go over the fat and salt limits."

Keller said that in the future, the researchers will look at whether adding herbs and spices to the vegetables will result in the students eating more vegetables. She also said the results -- published in the journal Food Quality and Preference -- also have broader implications about how parents feed their kids, even from an early age.

"I'm a big proponent of not being afraid to use herbs and spices, even with young kids or toddlers," Keller said. "Even with baby food you can add small amounts of herbs or spices, so they're getting used to the flavors of the family. If you're going to be using these things in the foods you make for your family later on, it doesn't make sense to avoid them when kids are little."

Story Source:

Materials provided by Penn State. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Juliana R. Fritts, Clara Fort, Anne Quinn Corr, Qihan Liang, Laurie Alla, Terri Cravener, John E. Hayes, Barbara J. Rolls, Christopher D'Adamo, Kathleen L. Keller. Herbs and spices increase liking and preference for vegetables among rural high school students. Food Quality and Preference, 2018; 68: 125 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2018.02.013

Cite This Page:

Penn State. "Spicing it up: High school students may prefer seasoned veggies over plain." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 March 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180306153729.htm>.

No link between current or previous marijuana use and kidney disease, say researchers

Date: March 1, 2018 Source: Elsevier

Summary:

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, with an increasing trend of use among middle-aged and older individuals. However, potential health effects of marijuana use in the general population have not been extensively studied, and little is known about potential effects on kidney function. According to a new cross-sectional study of adults aged 18-59 in the US, there is no association between current or previous marijuana use and kidney function.

See more at:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180301125051.htm

Fiber-fermenting bacteria improve health of type 2 diabetes patients

Dietary fibers promote gut bacteria that benefit blood glucose control

Date: March 8, 2018 Source: Rutgers University Summary: The fight against type 2 diabetes may soon improve thanks to a pioneering high-fiber diet study.

This is gut bacteria in culture.

Credit: Tao Liu and Xiaoyan Pang/Shanghai Jiao Tong University

The fight against type 2 diabetes may soon improve thanks to a pioneering high-fiber diet study led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick professor.

Promotion of a select group of gut bacteria by a diet high in diverse fibers led to better blood glucose control, greater weight loss and better lipid levels in people with type 2 diabetes, according to research published today in Science.

The study, underway for six years, provides evidence that eating more of the right dietary fibers may rebalance the gut microbiota, or the ecosystem of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract that help digest food and are important for overall human health.

"Our study lays the foundation and opens the possibility that fibers targeting this group of gut bacteria could eventually become a major part of your diet and your treatment," said Liping Zhao, the study's lead author and a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Type 2 diabetes, one of the most common debilitating diseases, develops when the pancreas makes too little insulin -- a hormone that helps glucose enter cells for use as energy -- or the body doesn't use insulin well.

In the gut, many bacteria break down carbohydrates, such as dietary fibers, and produce short-chain fatty acids that nourish our gut lining cells, reduce inflammation and help control appetite. A shortage of short-chain fatty acids has been associated with type 2 diabetes and other diseases. Many clinical studies also show that increasing dietary fiber intake could alleviate type 2 diabetes, but the effectiveness can vary due to the lack of understanding of the mechanisms, according to Zhao, who works in New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

In research based in China, Zhao and scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Yan Lam, a research assistant professor in Zhao's lab at Rutgers, randomized patients with type 2 diabetes into two groups. The control group received standard patient education and dietary recommendations. The treatment group was given a large amount of many types of dietary fibers while ingesting a similar diet for energy and major nutrients. Both groups took the drug acarbose to help control blood glucose.

The high-fiber diet included whole grains, traditional Chinese medicinal foods rich in dietary fibers and prebiotics, which promote growth of short-chain fatty acid-producing gut bacteria. After 12 weeks, patients on the high-fiber diet had greater reduction in a three-month average of blood glucose levels. Their fasting blood glucose levels also dropped faster and they lost more weight.

Surprisingly, of the 141 strains of short-chain fatty acid-producing gut bacteria identified by next-generation sequencing, only 15 are promoted by consuming more fibers and thus are likely to be the key drivers of better health. Bolstered by the high-fiber diet, they became the dominant strains in the gut after they boosted levels of the short-chain fatty acids butyrate and acetate. These acids created a mildly acidic gut environment that reduced populations of detrimental bacteria and led to increased insulin production and better blood glucose control.

The study supports establishing a healthy gut microbiota as a new nutritional approach for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Rutgers University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Liping Zhao, Feng Zhang, Xiaoying Ding, Guojun Wu, Yan Y. Lam, Xuejiao Wang, Huaqing Fu, Xinhe Xue, Chunhua Lu, Jilin Ma, Lihua Yu, Chengmei Xu, Zhongying Ren, Ying Xu, Songmei Xu, Hongli Shen, Xiuli Zhu, Yu Shi, Qingyun Shen, Weiping Dong, Rui Liu, Yunxia Ling, Yue Zeng, Xingpeng Wang, Qianpeng Zhang, Jing Wang, Linghua Wang, Yanqiu Wu, Benhua Zeng, Hong Wei, Menghui Zhang, Yongde Peng, Chenhong Zhang. Gut bacteria selectively promoted by dietary fibers alleviate type 2 diabetes. Science, 2018; 359 (6380): 1151 DOI: 10.1126/science.aao5774

Cite This Page:

Rutgers University. "Fiber-fermenting bacteria improve health of type 2 diabetes patients: Dietary fibers promote gut bacteria that benefit blood glucose control." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 March 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180308143047.htm>.

The enemy within: Gut bacteria drive autoimmune disease

Date: March 8, 2018 Source: Yale University Summary: Bacteria found in the small intestines of mice and humans can travel to other organs and trigger an autoimmune response, according to a new study. The researchers also found that the autoimmune reaction can be suppressed with an antibiotic or vaccine designed to target the bacteria, they said.

Orange dots represent the gut bacterium E. gallinarum in liver tissue.

Credit: Image courtesy of Yale University

Bacteria found in the small intestines of mice and humans can travel to other organs and trigger an autoimmune response, according to a new Yale study. The researchers also found that the autoimmune reaction can be suppressed with an antibiotic or vaccine designed to target the bacteria, they said.

The findings, published in Science, suggest promising new approaches for treating chronic autoimmune conditions, including systemic lupus and autoimmune liver disease, the researchers said.

Gut bacteria have been linked to a range of diseases, including autoimmune conditions characterized by immune system attack of healthy tissue. To shed light on this link, a Yale research team focused on Enterococcus gallinarum, a bacterium they discovered is able to spontaneously "translocate" outside of the gut to lymph nodes, the liver, and spleen.

In models of genetically susceptible mice, the researchers observed that in tissues outside the gut, E. gallinarum initiated the production of auto-antibodies and inflammation -- hallmarks of the autoimmune response. They confirmed the same mechanism of inflammation in cultured liver cells of healthy people, and the presence of this bacterium in livers of patients with autoimmune disease.

Through further experiments, the research team found that they could suppress autoimmunity in mice with an antibiotic or a vaccine aimed at E. gallinarum. With either approach, the researchers were able to suppress growth of the bacterium in the tissues and blunt its effects on the immune system.

"When we blocked the pathway leading to inflammation, we could reverse the effect of this bug on autoimmunity," said senior author Martin Kriegel, M.D.

"The vaccine against E. gallinarum was a specific approach, as vaccinations against other bacteria we investigated did not prevent mortality and autoimmunity," he noted. The vaccine was delivered through injection in muscle to avoid targeting other bacteria that reside in the gut.

While Kriegel and his colleagues plan further research on E. gallinarum and its mechanisms, the findings have relevance for systemic lupus and autoimmune liver disease, they said.

"Treatment with an antibiotic and other approaches such as vaccination are promising ways to improve the lives of patients with autoimmune disease," he said.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Yale University. Original written by Ziba Kashef. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

S. Manfredo Vieira, M. Hiltensperger, V. Kumar, D. Zegarra-Ruiz, C. Dehner, N. Khan, F. R. C. Costa, E. Tiniakou, T. Greiling, W. Ruff, A. Barbieri, C. Kriegel, S. S. Mehta, J. R. Knight, D. Jain, A. L. Goodman, M. A. Kriegel. Translocation of a gut pathobiont drives autoimmunity in mice and humans. Science, 2018; 359 (6380): 1156 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7201

Cite This Page:

Yale University. "The enemy within: Gut bacteria drive autoimmune disease." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 March 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180308143102.htm>.

Plant-derived volatiles may serve as future antifungals

Date: March 9, 2018 Source: VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) Summary: A research team has developed a novel screening method to identify antimicrobial properties of volatile substances. With this assay, they tested the vapour-phase-mediated activity of 175 essential oils (EOs) and 37 EO components. Approximately half of them proved active against the most drug-resistant type of Candida.

A research team at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology has developed a novel screening method to identify antimicrobial properties of volatile substances. With this assay, they tested the vapour-phase-mediated activity of 175 essential oils (EOs) and 37 EO components. Approximately half of them proved active against the most drug-resistant type of Candida. In a context of fungi showing increasing drug resistance, these findings may be useful in both medical and agricultural applications.

The research project, led by prof. Patrick Van Dijck, is rooted in the growing problem of antifungal drug resistance. Candida cells, for example, are quickly becoming tolerant to fluconazole, the most-used antifungal drug. Next to exploring experimental new techniques, scientists also seek to repurpose existing substances. Plant essential oils (EOs), metabolites obtained by steam distillation or cold citrus peel pressing, may offer interesting opportunities: they are made up of compounds that help protect the plant against microbial or herbivore attacks.

Identifying EOs and their compounds

In the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Adam Feyaerts gathered a collection of 175 different EOs, constituting a collection of over one thousand different small molecules. The aim was to identify biologically active compounds present in these complex mixtures. They therefore developed a new class of assay that allowed to identify new volatile substances with antifungal activities over a distance.

Prof. Patrick Van Dijck (VIB-KU Leuven): "We screened our whole collection of EOs for vapor-phase mediated antifungal activity against two human fungal pathogens, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. Interestingly, we found that approximately half of the EOs and their compounds had vapour-phase-mediated activity against both Candida species. Surprisingly, C. glabrata, the most drug-resistant species of the two was on average even more susceptible. In contrast, none of the currently used antifungals showed any vapour-phase-mediated activity."

Numerous potential applications

This is now the first simple test to look for the vapor-phase-mediated antimicrobial activity of molecules. The same assay could also be used to test other biological activity. And although these findings still have to be confirmed in clinical trials, potential applications are numerous.

Co-author Adam Feyaerts (VIB-KU Leuven): "Our findings are for instance a starting point for the development of molecules that could also be used in vaporizers. After all, volatiles can access otherwise hard to reach areas. Think of possibilities such as maintaining hygiene in hospitals or treat patients with lung infections. There are agricultural options too, such as preventing post-harvest contamination or protecting crops against pests."

Story Source:

Materials provided by VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Adam F. Feyaerts, Lotte Mathé, Walter Luyten, Stijn De Graeve, Katrien Van Dyck, Lize Broekx, Patrick Van Dijck. Essential oils and their components are a class of antifungals with potent vapour-phase-mediated anti-Candida activity. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22395-6

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