Could the paleo diet benefit heart health?

Date: August 26, 2016

Source: American Physiological Society (APS)

Summary:

Findings from a small study suggest that people who followed the Paleo diet for only eight weeks experienced positive effects on heart health.

The popular Paleo diet is based on eating foods thought to be available to our ancestors during the Paleolithic era, before the advent of dairy or processed grains. Findings from a small study suggest that people who followed the Paleo diet for only eight weeks experienced positive effects on heart health. Preliminary findings from this research will be presented at the American Physiological Society's Inflammation, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease conference.

"Very few studies have examined the Paleo diet in seemingly healthy participants, despite the prevalence of this dietary practice in health and fitness enthusiasts," said study author Chad Dolan, a graduate student researcher at University of Houston Laboratory of Integrative Physiology.

The researchers asked eight healthy people who normally consumed a traditional Western diet high in processed foods to switch to the Paleo diet -- which consists of minimally processed foods -- for eight weeks. The participants received a sample Paleo diet menu and recipe guide, as well as initial counseling on how to incorporate the Paleo diet into their everyday lives. They were told to eat as much food as they wanted while following the diet.

The researchers found that the study participants experienced a 35 percent increase in levels of interlukin-10 (IL-10), a signaling molecule secreted by immune cells. A low IL-10 value can predict increased heart attack risk in people who also have high levels of inflammation. Scientist think that high IL-10 levels may counteract inflammation, providing a protective effect for blood vessels.

Although the researchers have not yet analyzed inflammation levels in the study participants, the increase in IL-10 could suggest a lower risk for cardiovascular disease after following the Paleo diet. The researchers also observed changes in other biomarkers of inflammation, but further investigation is needed to understand whether these changes indicate increased inflammation or a protective mechanism at work.

Even though the study was not designed to promote weight loss, the participants did drop some pounds during the eight-week trial. Compared with what they regularly ate before the study, participants reported consuming around 22 percent fewer calories and 44 percent fewer grams of carbohydrates on the Paleo diet.

This preliminary feasibility study did not include a control group of people not following the diet, making it difficult to determine if the changes observed in inflammation biomarkers resulted from specific food choices, reduced calories, fewer carbohydrates or weight loss.

"This study's findings add to the possibility that short-term dietary changes from a traditional Western pattern of eating to foods promoted in the Paleo diet may improve health -- or, at the very least, the diet does not have negative health implications in terms of the parameters we studied," Dolan said. "If our research continues to show that the Paleo diet produces detectable changes in healthy individuals, it will substantiate claims made by those supporting this diet for the past few decades and provide preliminary evidence for another therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease prevention."

The researchers caution that the current findings are both preliminary and incomplete in this group of participants. They plan to conduct a study with a greater number of people who follow the diet for a longer period of time to analyze how it affects various risk factors for cardiovascular and coronary artery disease, cellular immune function and metabolic health.

The study was a collaborative effort between the Human Performance Laboratory at Chatham University in Pittsburgh and the University of Houston Laboratory of Integrative Physiology.

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American Physiological Society (APS). "Could the paleo diet benefit heart health?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 August 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160826151733.htm>.

Targeting gut bacteria to reduce weight gain

Date: August 27, 2016

Source: American Physiological Society (APS)

Summary:

Adding engineered bacteria into the guts of mice both kept them from gaining weight and protected them against some of the negative health effects of obesity.

A new therapy that involves engineered gut bacteria may one day help reduce the health problems that come with obesity. Incorporating the engineered bacteria into the guts of mice both kept them from gaining weight and protected them against some of the negative health effects of obesity. Researchers will present their findings today at the American Physiological Society's Inflammation, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease conference.

More than one-third of adults in the U.S. are obese, putting them at greater risk for conditions such as fatty liver disease -- caused by fatty deposits building up in the liver -- and atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries. Scientists have recently discovered that the microorganisms living in our gut, known as the gut microbiota, play an important role in obesity and may offer a new therapeutic target.

Researchers led by Sean Davies, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, are studying whether obesity-related diseases might be treated or even prevented by altering the gut microbiota. To find out, they engineered gut bacteria that produce a small lipid that helps suppress appetite and reduce inflammation. People who are obese typically produce less of this lipid, which is made by the small intestine.

"We have previously shown that this approach with engineered bacteria could inhibit obesity when standard mice were fed a high-fat diet," Davies said. "Our new studies focused on mice highly prone to develop atherosclerosis and fatty liver disease, and we showed that the engineered bacteria were beneficial not only in inhibiting obesity, but also in protecting against fatty liver disease and somewhat against atherosclerosis."

The researchers found that standard mice fed a high-fat diet while also receiving the engineered bacteria via drinking water gained less body weight and body fat than mice given standard drinking water or control bacteria. They also gave the engineered bacteria to mice with increased susceptibility to atherosclerosis and fatty liver disease. These mice accumulated less fat in the liver and showed reduced expression of markers of liver fibrosis, compared to mice that did not receive the treatment. The treated mice also exhibited a modest trend toward reduced atherosclerotic plaques.

"Some day in the future, it might be possible to treat the worst effects of obesity simply by administering these bacteria," Davies said. "Because of the sustainability of gut bacteria, this treatment would not need to be every day."

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The above post is reprinted from materials provided by American Physiological Society (APS). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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American Physiological Society (APS). "Targeting gut bacteria to reduce weight gain." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 August 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160827162200.htm>.