Your Mama Was Right!
Jul 10 at 7:07pm by Aileen
If your Mama was anything like mine, you no doubt grew up with the constant admonition that “you are what you eat.” And despite the silly position of the AMA back in the early 1980s that there was no evidence to support the idea that diet has any direct relationship with health, almost all mothers know better. Thus it’s not entirely unexpected that medical science should be learning about the many ways that diet does indeed affect health, but it is welcome to wise Moms everywhere.
First up, a paper published in the journal Science by a research team at the University of Wisconsin demonstrates that simply reducing the amount of food eaten works to blunt the effects of aging and significantly delay onset of age-relatted conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and brain atrophy. The research was conducted over 20 years on Rhesus monkeys at the National Primate Research Center at UW-Madison.
Conclusion? A restricted calorie diet will help you live longer and stay healthier.
The American Dietetic Association has also released an updated position paper on vegetarian diets that concludes a well-planned meatless diet is both healthful and nutritionally adequate and can help prevent or even treat chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, cancer and heart disease.
Vegetarian diets have long been associated with lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Because such diets are low-fat and generally provide more vitamins and minerals than a meat-based diet, the ADA has concluded that a meatless diet is appropriate for all stages of the human life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy and for athletes.
With ever increasing evidence that fewer calories, less meat and more fruits and vegetables can lead to a longer and healthier life, the number of vegetarians or semi-vegetarians among the population is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. Perhaps the most important take-away lesson from the evidence and research is that indulging in high-calorie processed foods and fatty meats to the point where a majority of the population weighs twice what they should weigh causes a huge chunk of the medical issues people suffer in the U.S.
Popularity: 68% [?]
What’s New on the Swine Flu Vaccine Front
Jun 8 at 7:07pm by Aileen
The World Health Organization Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response Update as of June 5 is maintaining the pandemic alert at Level 5 for the time being, but seeking input from members for fine-tuning the system to account for virulence and other factors not currently considered. The system should be more receptive to the severity of outbreaks in different countries or regions to better characterize to the public and public health officials worldwide to monitor the actual situation in their areas in order to avoid excessive response or not enough response.
In the meantime, the mortality rate of this flu, while initially high in the Mexico City area, has fallen overall to around 2% or less, in line with annual deaths during flu season. Those who contract the virus are still those generally considered to be in the healthiest range of the population. On the vaccine development front there have been several developments since the 2009 Swine Flu epidemic began:
On April 29 vaccine researchers at St. Louis University announced that they’d accomplished the first step in developing a universal vaccine against pandemic influenza. To accomplish this the researchers used proteins (engineered a ‘bug’ that produced said proteins from genetic sequences coding for them) from both A and B influenza strains. The vaccine introduces those proteins so the body can engineer antibodies specific to them. More testing is needed, they say, before the vaccine is ready for prime time.
On May 1 Juergen A. Richt, a pathobiologist at Kansas State University’s college of veterinary medicine released findings that the current lineage of H1N1 Swine Flu is a descendant of the 1918 strain that killed more than 20 million people worldwide. For the study Richt and colleagues from Canada, USDA and Mount Sinai engineered their ‘bug’ in a biosafety-level-4 lab (like the one at UT-Austin) at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Canada using elements from both the 1918 virus and a 1930 descendent of that virus.
On May 22 researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Vaccine Research announced that they’d evoked a robust immune response with a vaccine made of virus-like particles [VLPs], which are just the protein coats of actual viruses without any genes inside. This approach, which like other approaches involves genetic manipulation to produce the “hollow” virus shells, may work better than attenuated virus vaccines. The new vaccine for Human Papilloma Virus is a VLP.
And finally, on June 4 Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News reported that scientists around the world are accelerating efforts to develop an effective vaccine against the current Chimera strain. This is ‘news’ in the GE/biotech community because genetic manipulation is standard operating procedure in the development of influenza vaccines, of any type – live, attenuated, killed and dissociated or VLP. Step #1 is to engineer your Chimera.
No matter how the Chimera came to be, Bellerophon is engineered very much on purpose. I personally like the idea of the VLP vaccine, as it ONLY has coat proteins and it excites a more robust immune response to those than to dissociated coat proteins. The robust response is to the form of the viral shell. Even better, if these beasties get out in an ‘oops’ it won’t kill anybody – it’ll just immunize ‘em. Let’s all hope one of these is available come September.
Popularity: 31% [?]
Supersizing You
May 12 at 7:07pm by Aileen
We have all heard the increasing concern among public health officials about the “obesity crisis” in recent years as citizens of all ages get fatter and fatter – including, perhaps counterintuitively, the most financially challenged among us, traditionally considered the most nutritionally needy of all groups. Old pictures from the Great Depression era of the 1930s routinely showed the sunken faces and emaciated bodies of those who suffered most from the economic conditions.
The new Great Recession that became apparent last fall with the collapse of Wall Street and much of the world’s financial systems does not seem to be stemming the tide of obesity, and apparently much of the overall weight gain has occurred in just the past ~30+ years since the 1970s. We have heard about changes in diet to include more high fructose corn syrup instead of refined sugar in cheap snack foods and sodas, about more unhealthy fatty meats produced in factory farm intensives and fed unnatural diets, and we’ve seen the average size of a “single serving” meal at most fast food joints and restaurants practically double, contributing to people eating more and more of high-fat, high-calorie foods.
There has also been much said about increasing sedentary lifestyles, this lack of regular exercise contributing to the epidemic of obesity in children. But new research by associates of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention at Deaking University in Australia was presented to the European Congress on Obesity last week analyzing a variety of factors that show it really is all about how much we eat.
Increased Food Intake Alone Explains Rise in Obesity in U.S. tested 1,399 adults and 963 children to determine how many calories their bodies burn on a daily basis in normal living. Once this was determined, the researchers were able to calculate how much the individuals needed to eat in order to maintain a stable weight or growth curve in children. The bad news is that we’re eating a whole lot more calories than we burn, thus we get fatter and fatter.
It was determined that in order to get back to average individual weights of the 1970s, adults would have to consume about 500 fewer calories per day, children about 300 fewer calories. That may sound difficult until you realize that a single large hamburger averages 500 calories, and a small order of fries and medium soda amount to about 300. The same effect could be had if people got enough extra exercise to offset the increased calories, but it’s pretty obvious that’s not going to happen.
Professor Boyd Swinburn, the study’s leader, suggested to the WHO conference that while increased exercise should be encouraged for a range of benefits by public health agencies, more could likely be accomplished simply by programs that promote eating less.
Popularity: 25% [?]
Technical Innovation and Pandemics
May 3 at 1:01pm by Ryan
Sometimes simple things remind you how privileged we are at this time in history.
Consider this: you can receive text-messages on your cell phone that update you about the current state of the Swin Flu pandemic. There has never been a time in history when you could get such useful information so quickly.
Or think about the extraordinary level of global cooperation regarding protocols for keeping Swine Flu in check. While some people might be complaining about over-reaction, I for one and am extremely grateful for the extraordinary care that’s being taken to prevent mass death.
Score one for innovation and technological progress.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Sexy Science for Sexy Geeks
Apr 27 at 3:03pm by Aileen
Jimmy Rogers over at the blog Geeks are Sexy has taken a liking to writing about science, and launched what we hope will be a regular feature entitled Science is Sexy. First offering is a look at what cancer is, and why there’s no single cure for this ailment.
Rogers is a PhD student in microbiology and he’s pretty good at explaining deep concepts in easy terms. So go on over and check out how both geeks and science can be sexy!
A “Unique” Strain of Flu
They’re calling it Swine Flu [H1N1], but the virus that began showing off its late season virulence in Mexico City last week sports DNA from three varieties – swine flu, bird flu and human flu. Within days it had spread to California and Texas, then New York City, Kansas, Ohio and such far away places as New Zealand. On Sunday, April 26, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control [CDC] declared a Public Health Emergency, other nations have issued travel advisories to avoid the U.S. and Mexico, and the words “global pandemic” are being tossed around on news shows and discussed everywhere. Stockpiles of Tamiflu [Roche], which has been shown effective against this virus, have been released and will be quickly shipped anywhere in the United States that the illness appears.
There in no reason to panic, though officials are watching the outbreak closely and trying to contain it. This is an influenza Type-A virus that apparently incubated in pigs before making the jump to humans, but the virus is now being spread person to person. The CDC Swine Flu Fact Page has lots of good information about the virus and lists ways people can minimize their chances of infection. Despite some nations imposing emergency bans on pork imported from the U.S. and Mexico, this flu is not spread by eating properly cooked pork.
Advice to avoid crowds, wear disposable face masks, using tissues when coughing and sneezing to avoid spreading germs, and washing/sanitizing hands often are standard. This illness is striking healthy adults rather than targeting the very young or very old, and there is no current vaccine. If you get it, stay home from work or school to avoid spreading it to others. Those who had a Type-A flu shot this past season will still be susceptible to this infection.
Popularity: 26% [?]
Why Some People Beat the Flu
Apr 2 at 8:08pm by Aileen
…and other people die
If your family managed to get through this year’s flu season intact, you’re probably considering yourself very lucky. The A strains claim tens of thousands of lives every year, while hundreds of thousands of people who get infected manage to bounce right back in a week or two. Researchers at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Germany has conducted experiments using 7 strains of genetically identical mice that led the somewhat surprising conclusion that very serious infection and death from influenza is primarily an autoimmune malfunction.
The research, published in the Public Library of Science [PLoS-One] on line, demonstrates that an excessive immune response to the virus is responsible for fatal outcomes of the disease in mice, and that this immune overreaction is genetically linked.
After infecting mice from the seven genetic lineages with identical strains the Influenza A virus, the researchers were surprised to discover very strong differences in the progression of the disease. In five of the seven mouse lineages the illness was quite mild, while in two the animals lost weight rapidly and died within just a few days.
“The mice die from their own immune defenses, which are actually supposed to protect them against the virus,” says Klaus Schughart, head of the Experimental Mouse Genetics research group. “The immune system produces too many messengers, which have a strong activating effect on the immune cells. These cells then kill tissue cells in the lungs that are infected with the virus. It appears that the animals have specific receptors on their cells that make them more receptive to a severe viral infection.”
If the results can be extended by further research to humans, it may be possible to identify people who are much more likely to die of influenza due to specific genetic makeup, so that protecting them during flu season can be made a priority. While certain at-risk populations are advised to get their flu shots annually – including doctors and nurses most likely to be exposed to the virus – identifying who among the at-risk populations is most likely to develop a hyperactive and potentially fatal autoimmune response could make better use of flu vaccine supplies by targeting them to the right people.
Links:
Why Some People Shake Off the Flu
Host Genetic Background Strongly Influences the Response to Influenza A Virus Infections
Popularity: 26% [?]
Connection Between Cold Sores and Alzheimer’s Disease?
Dec 8 at 6:06pm by Aileen
Researchers at the University of Manchester in England have discovered that the herpes simplex virus – the virus that causes cold sores – is a major cause of the beta amyloid protein plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers, suggesting new methods of treatment.
Cold Sore Virus Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease: New Treatment, or Even Vaccine Possible
A majority of people are infected with the herpes simplex virus, which remains in the peripheral nervous system for the life of the person, occasionally showing up to cause cold sores. It is treated, usually when the sores show up, with antiviral agents such as acyclovir, and outbreaks can often be shortened by taking L-Lysine amino acid supplements. The discovery of a connection between herpes simplex and the amyloid plaques of AD lends hope to the idea that Alzheimer’s may one day soon be treatable with antiviral drugs, or even that a vaccine could be developed against both the herpes infection and AD.
The research team examining plaques and neurofibrillary tangles from AD patients discovered that HSV1 viral DNA was found in 90% of those abnormal protein structures. The same team had previously found that HSV1 infection of nerve cells induces deposition of the plaques. Previous treatments for this dread disease of aging have focused on symptoms of the disease rather than any root causes. As the population ‘bump’ known as the “Baby Boom” generation ages, this discovery may help to prevent a great deal of suffering both for victims of the disease and their families.
The Manchester team hope to receive funding that will enable them to investigate in detail the effect of treating early Alzheimer’s patients with antiviral agents. The paper was published in the Journal of Pathology, Volume 217, entitled Herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA is located within Alzheimer’s disease amyloid plaques.
Popularity: 33% [?]
Worried About Alzheimer’s? Go Back to School!
Nov 12 at 8:08pm by Aileen
Scientists at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that some people who have the plaques in their brain associated with AD still manage to score well on tests of cognitive ability if they spent more years in school, and put their cognitive abilities to work on a regular basis. Those with less education, who may not regularly exercise their brains than better educated people, tend to display more symptoms of cognitive decline.
Strong Educatiion Blunts Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease -
“As expected, those whose brains showed little evidence of plaque buildup scored high on all the tests. But while most participants with high levels of brain plaque scored poorly on the tests, those who had done postgraduate work still scored well. Despite signs that Alzheimer’s might already be ravaging the brains of this subgroup, their cognitive abilities had not declined and they had not become demented.”
So get busy, all you aging Boomers! Now that the nation’s economy is tanking and the government’s printing enough money to deforest the Amazon basin [snark], it’s time to go back to school! Or just audit some courses that interest you. Or take some online courses, just for fun. Download that computerized Scrabble game, do crossword puzzles, join a book discussion clutch, whatever. I want to see you put the burn to that flabby brain, whip it into shape!
…and the payoff just might be that you keep more of your mind later in your life than you otherwise would!
Popularity: 32% [?]
Precipitous Rise of Kidney Stones in US Children
Oct 29 at 5:05pm by Aileen
More Melamine in Chinese Food Products
It seems like the entire month of October has been one big Halloween Trick (not Treat) as the grotesque and blatantly illegal ‘melamine in food’ imported from China horror just keeps getting worse and worse. Some might wonder why all food products from China weren’t immediately banned back when tainted pet food cause the painful deaths of thousands of dogs and cats last year, once it was confirmed that Chinese state-owned food processors were adding the industrial plastic to wheat gluten to fool tests for protein content in this ubiquitous protein additive. Alas, imports were not banned, and now this dangerous adulterant is in hundreds of common food items.
Thousands of Chinese infants were poisoned when melamine was added to infant formulas and milk products. It’s in medicines exported and has caused sickness and death in Central and South America. Now it’s in candy and eggs and almost every wheat product from China. The US does not require country of origin labeling of foods, thus American consumers have no real way of knowing they’re buying poison.
Tainted Chinese Products Criminal Timeline traces the tainted Chinese food scandal back through 2004, and includes many other adulterants Americans have been ingesting. Dried apples preserved with a cancer-causing chemical. Frozen catfish laden with banned antibiotics. Scallops and sardines coated with putrefying bacteria. Mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides. It is not a pretty picture, and our FDA has been criminally lax in their duty of protecting the safety of our food supply.
Popularity: 32% [?]
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