FRONTIERS in Functional Medicine

Eating Protein Boosts Hormone That Staves Off Hunger

The amount of a hunger-fighting hormone can be increased by eating a higher protein diet, researchers report in the September issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, published by Cell Press. The hormone, known as peptide YY (PYY), was earlier found by the researchers to reduce food intake by a third in both normal-weight and obese people when given by injection.

"We've now found that increasing the protein content of the diet augments the body's own PYY, helping to reduce hunger and aid weight loss," said Medical Research Council clinician scientist Rachel Batterham of University College London, who led the new study.

Scientists have known that high-protein content meals make people feel more full and reduce food intake, resulting in improvements in weight loss and weight loss maintenance. However, the mechanism responsible remained elusive.

In a study in normal-weight and obese people, the researchers now show that enhanced-protein meals stimulate greater release of PYY than either high-fat or high-carbohydrate meals and result in a greater reduction of hunger.

Further investigation in mice supported the human study results. High-protein diets reduced the number of calories animals consumed and increased their PYY levels. Mice fed a high-protein diet also gained less weight and produced more PYY than animals that ate the usual amount of protein, they found.

In addition, the researchers found that genetically modified mice unable to produce PYY ate more and became markedly obese. The genetically modified mice were also resistant to the beneficial effects of a high-protein diet, the researchers reported, demonstrating a direct connection between protein and PYY.

When the researchers treated those hormone-deficient mice with PYY, the animals lost weight.

"The findings show that PYY deficiency can cause obesity and that PYY appears to mediate the beneficial effects of increased-protein content diets," Batterham said. "One potential weight loss strategy is therefore to increase the satiating power of the diet and promote weight loss through the addition of dietary protein--harnessing our own satiety system.

"Such a diet is perhaps more typical to that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors," she added.

The average Western diet derives 49% of energy intake from carbohydrate, 35% from fat, and 16% from protein, Batterham said. That differs considerably from the diet of hunter-gatherers, who ate as much as twice the amount of protein.

Batterham cautioned, however, that large, long-term clinical trials are required before any particular diet could be recommended. She also noted that such a diet would not resemble the popular Atkins diet, which is typically high in both saturated fat and protein.

COMMENT

Another of many studies over recent years proving that the so-called "Balanced Diet" comprising 60% carbohydrates 20% protein and 20% fats is a health hazard. For the past 25 years I have found that a 40:30:30 diet for most people unless obese quickly restores and controls the all important Glucagon/Insulin Response with consequent optimization of Blood Glucose, Cholesterol, Triglycerides and Body Mass Index.

Disabling A Carbohydrate Trigger Reduces Obesity And Appetite

Until about 15 years ago, insulin was believed primarily responsible for turning carbohydrates into fat. But then it became apparent that diet alone could stimulate glucose metabolism and fat synthesis, even when insulin levels were low or absent.

Five years ago, researchers discovered that a substance known as ChREBP (carbohydrate response element binding protein), quite independent of insulin, initiated a sequence responsible for converting excess carbohydrates to fatty acids for long-term storage.

In a study that appears in this month's edition of the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, the same laboratory that identified ChREBP (pronounced "kreb") and its role in fat storage has discovered that the absence of ChREBP in mice keeps normally obese mice from becoming fat, lowers their blood triglycerides (a type of fat) and reduces the insulin resistance related to type 2 diabetes

The research, titled "Deficiency of carbohydrate-activated transcription factor ChREBP prevents obesity and improves plasma glucose control in leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice," was carried out by University of Texas researchers Katsumi Iizuka, Bonnie Miller and Kosaku Uyeda of the UT Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas. Uyeda is also associated with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Dallas. The American Physiological Society published the study.

"Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and other simple sugars by digestion," explained Uyeda, the principal investigator. "These sugars enter the bloodstream and are mostly taken up by the liver." The liver does different things with the sugars, depending upon the body's energy needs. But if the body has enough energy, with the help of ChREBP, it converts glucose into fatty acids and stores it.

"Many people believe that evolutionary pressure favored those who could convert excess carbohydrate to fat and store it because they were better able to survive food shortages," said Uyeda. "Unfortunately for the waistlines and health of many people today, the conversion of glucose into fatty acids by the liver occurs all too readily."

The researchers used four groups of mice. One group lacked a functional ChREBP gene. Because these mice were unable to synthesize ChREBP, they converted very little carbohydrate to fat and remained relatively thin, even when they ate a very high carbohydrate diet, Uyeda explained.

The second group was a strain of obese mice that do not produce leptin, a hormone that tells us to stop eating when we are full, Uyeda said. "Since these mice don't make leptin, they eat large amounts of food, become obese and develop symptoms of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes," he said.

The third group was a combination of the first two: They did not produce leptin and so were prone to obesity but they also lacked the functional ChREBP gene, which tends to keep mice lean. The fourth group of normal mice acted as controls.

"We found that the third group (that did not have ChREBP and did not produce leptin) did not become obese, had lower blood glucose levels than the obese group and were less insulin resistant," Uyeda said. "We also were very surprised to find that these mice ate much less than the obese mice of the second group."

"These results show the important role ChREBP plays in metabolism and appetite control in mice and, presumably, humans," Uyeda said. "Ultimately we hope to develop drugs to inactivate and control ChREBP to overcome these two major health problems of obesity and diabetes."

Research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Administration.
 

Comment;
Another carbohydrate factor to be considered in weight control.

'Portion Distortion' May Contribute To Expanding Waistlines, Study Reports

New research shows that people's perceptions of normal portion sizes have changed in the past 20 years. A study out of Rutgers published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reports that Portion Distortion may be the cause¹. This phenomenon occurs when consumers perceive large portion sizes as appropriate amounts to eat at a single eating occasion.

"It has previously been established that portion sizes of virtually all foods and beverages served at restaurants and packaged for single-serve have dramatically increased over the last two decades," said Jaime Schwartz MS, RD, who was a graduate student at Rutgers at the time of this study. "Our study compared what people perceive to be a typical portion size now to what was perceived as typical two decades ago, before portions began to grow. We also compared current perceptions of typical portions to reference portion sizes, defined in this study as the serving size on the Nutrition Facts panel."

This study replicated one that was done 20 years ago in which participants were asked to serve themselves the amount they considered to be a typical portion of each meal item on a buffet table². To follow this model, Schwartz and co-author, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, PhD, RD, enrolled 177 young adults to participate. All were invited to attend one meal, selecting typical portions of a total of eight meal items at breakfast or six at lunch and dinner. Food and beverage choices mirrored the study of 20 years ago as to permit valid comparisons between typical portions over time.

Portions Are Distorted

Interestingly, most foods with drastically different portion sizes over the two decades were all served from and consumed from a cup or bowl. For example, typical portions of orange juice were more than 40 percent larger in the present day study than they were 20 years ago. In nutritional terms, this larger amount of orange juice provides 50 additional calories and could equal a five pound weight gain over the course of one year if consumed on a daily basis. Participants in the present study served themselves nearly 20 percent more cornflakes and poured almost 30 percent more milk on their cereal than participants 20 years ago.

On average, less than 45 percent of portions selected at the breakfast meal were within 25 percent of the reference portion size. For the lunch and dinner meals, around 30 percent of portions were within 25 percent of the reference portion size. This strongly suggests that the amount of food thought to be appropriate to eat at one sitting is different than what the Nutrition Facts panel indicates to be a single serving size. "With portions being distorted to this degree, it's no surprise that people's waistlines are expanding." Byrd-Bredbenner remarked.

Nutrition Education May Serve Well

The good news is that efforts to educate the public to limit certain foods that add excess calories may have been successful. For example, the typical portion size of salad dressing was significantly smaller in the current study than typical portions selected in the study done 20 years ago. The message that even nutritious foods (e.g., tossed salad) can become less healthy when calorically dense items (e.g., salad dressing) are used excessively, may have become well understood over the past two decades.

Although the causes of obesity are multifactorial, the incidence of obesity has increased over the past two decades in parallel with increasing portion sizes, and Portion Distortion may be a contributing factor. "Our society wants the 'bang for our buck' and when portions are served to us that we think are small we feel short-changed," commented Schwartz. "But we need to start 'undistorting' what we perceive to be a typical portion and begin to listen to our stomachs, not our eyes, to determine when to put the fork down."

¹Schwartz, J and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. Portion Distortion: Typical Portion Sizes Selected by Young Adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006; 106(9): 1412-1418.

²Guthrie, H. Selection and quantification of typical food portions by young adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 1984; 84(12): 1440-1444.

Study Shows Link Between Morbid Obesity, Low IQ In Toddlers

University of Florida researchers have discovered a link between morbid obesity in toddlers and lower IQ scores, cognitive delays and brain lesions similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease patients, a new study shows.

Although the cause of these cognitive impairments is still unknown, UF researchers suspect the metabolic disturbances obesity causes could be taking a toll on young brains, which are still developing and not fully protected, they write in an article published in the Journal of Pediatrics this month.

"It's well-known that obesity is associated with a number of other medical problems, such as diabetes, hypertension and elevated cholesterol," said Daniel J. Driscoll, M.D., Ph.D., a UF professor of pediatrics and molecular genetics and microbiology in the College of Medicine and the lead author of the study. "Now, we're postulating that early-onset morbid obesity and these metabolic, biochemical problems can also lead to cognitive impairment."

Researchers compared 18 children and adults with early-onset morbid obesity, which means they weighed at least 150 percent of their ideal body weight before they were 4, with 19 children and adults with Prader-Willi syndrome, and with 24 of their normal-weight siblings. Researchers chose lean siblings as a control group "because they share a socioeconomic group and genetic background," Driscoll said.

The links between cognitive impairments and Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes people to eat nonstop and become morbidly obese at a very young age if not supervised, are well-established. But researchers were surprised to find that children and adults who had become obese as toddlers for no known genetic reason fared almost as poorly on IQ and achievement tests as Prader-Willi patients. Prader-Willi patients had an average IQ of 63 and patients with early-onset morbid obesity had an average of 78. The control group of siblings had an average IQ of 106, which falls within the range of what is considered normal intelligence.

"It was surprising to find that they had an average IQ score of 78, whereas their control siblings were 106," Driscoll said. "We feel this may be another complication of obesity that may not be reversible, so it's very important to watch what children eat even from a very young age. It's not just setting them up for problems later on, it could affect their learning potential now."

While performing head MRI scans of subjects, researchers also discovered white-matter lesions on the brains of many of the Prader-Willi and early-onset morbidly obese patients. White-matter lesions are typically found on the brains of adults who have developed Alzheimer's disease or in children with untreated phenylketonuria, the researchers wrote.

These lesions could be affecting food-seeking centers of the brain, causing the children to feel hungrier. But they are most likely a result of metabolic changes that damage the young, developing brain, Driscoll said.

More studies are needed to understand what is causing these cognitive impairments, said Merlin Butler, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri and chief of genetics and molecular medicine at Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics.

"This could be a really significant observation," Butler said. "It's an interesting concept. It's a whole new area of investigation."

The findings are preliminary and additional studies are planned, Driscoll said. Jennifer Miller, M.D., a UF assistant professor of pediatric endocrinology and the first author of the study, and other researchers from UF, All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Baylor College of Medicine also took part in the research.

Although there was no known genetic cause for early-onset morbid obesity in the subjects studied, Driscoll said there are likely genetic and hormonal factors at play that researchers have yet to discover, particularly since these children are becoming obese at a time when their parents still control what they eat. The researchers studied several sets of fraternal twins where one twin was lean and the other morbidly obese, yet their parents reported that each ate the same amount of food. In one case, the obese child actually ate less, Driscoll said.

Driscoll is also careful to point out that adults or children who become obese later in childhood are not at-risk for these cognitive impairments because their brains are sufficiently developed to fend off damage from obesity.

"We're all mindful that this is an obese society," he said. "We all need to be more careful with respect to what we eat, but in particular, that's very important for children under 4."

Juices May Reduce Alzheimer's Disease Risk

In a large epidemiological study, researchers found that people who drank three or more servings of fruit and vegetable juices per week had a 76 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who drank juice less than once per week.

The study by Qi Dai, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine, and colleagues appears in the September issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

The researchers followed a subset of subjects from a large cross-cultural study of dementia, called the Ni-Hon-Sea Project, which investigated Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in older Japanese populations living in Japan, Hawaii and Seattle, Wash.

For the current study, called the Kame Project, the researchers identified 1,836 dementia-free subjects in the Seattle population and collected information on their dietary consumption of fruit and vegetable juices. They then assessed cognitive function every two years for up to 10 years.

After controlling for possible confounding factors like smoking, education, physical activity and fat intake, the researchers found that those who reported drinking juices three or more times per week were 76 percent less likely to develop signs of Alzheimer's disease than those who drank less than one serving per week.

The benefit appeared particularly enhanced in subjects who carry the apolipoprotein E ÿ-4 allele, a genetic marker linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease -- the most common form of the disease, which typically occurs after the age of 65.

The researchers chose to study this group because of the low incidence rate of Alzheimer's disease in the Japanese population. However, the incidence of Alzheimer's in Japanese people living in the United States is higher, approaching the incidence rates in Americans. This pointed to environmental factors like diet and lifestyle as important contributors to disease risk.

Originally, researchers suspected that high intakes of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C, E and -carotene) might provide some protection against Alzheimer's disease, but recent clinical studies have not supported this hypothesis.

"We thought that the underlying component may not be vitamins, that there was maybe something else," Dai said.

Dai began to suspect that another class of antioxidant chemicals, known as polyphenols, could play a role. Polyphenols are non-vitamin antioxidants common in the diet and particularly abundant in teas, juices and wines. Most polyphenols exist primarily in the skins and peels of fruits and vegetables. Recent studies have shown that polyphenols (like resveratrol in wine) extend maximum lifespan by 59 percent and delay age-dependent decay of cognitive performance in animal models.

"Also, animal studies and cell culture studies confirmed that some polyphenols from juices showed a stronger neuroprotective effect than antioxidant vitamins. So we are now looking at polyphenols," Dai said.

The next step, said Dai, is to test the subjects' blood samples to see if elevated levels of polyphenols are related to the reduced risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. This would provide further evidence of the role of juice polyphenols in Alzheimer's disease risk. It also may point to the types of juice that would be most beneficial.

We don't know if it is a specific type of juice (that reduces risk). That information was not collected in the current study," said Dai. "But we can use plasma to narrow down the kinds of juices."

However promising the study results appear, Dai cautioned, it's important that the general public not jump the gun regarding the value of juice as a preventive measure for Alzheimer's disease.

"A few years ago, hormone replacement therapy, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and antioxidant vitamins showed promise (in preventing or slowing Alzheimer's disease), but recent clinical trials indicate that they do not," Dai said. "More study, I think, is needed."

This research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. James C. Jackson, Psy.D., research assistant professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Amy R. Borenstein, Ph.D., and Yougui Wu, Ph.D., from the University of South Florida; and Eric B. Larson, M.D., Ph.D., of the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound were co-authors on the study.

High-fat, Copper-rich Diets Associated With Increased Rates Of Cognitive Decline In Older Adults

Among older adults whose diets are high in saturated and trans fats, a high intake of copper may be associated with an accelerated rate of decline in thinking, learning and memory abilities, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Although copper, zinc and iron are essential for brain development and function, an imbalance of these metals may play a role in the development of brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies have also linked fat intake, especially that of saturated and trans fats, to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive difficulties, according to background information in the article. One recent animal study found that the consumption of copper in drinking water could amplify the degenerative effects of a high-fat diet on rabbit brains.

Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D., associated professor at the Institute for Healthy Aging at Rush University Medical Center, and her colleagues assessed the connection between dietary fat and dietary copper intake in 3,718 Chicago residents age 65 years and older. Participants underwent cognitive testing at the beginning of the study, after three years and after six years. An average of one year after the study began, they filled out a questionnaire about their diets. The dietary recommended allowance of copper for adults is .9 milligrams per day. Organ meats, such as liver, and shellfish are the foods with the highest copper levels, followed by nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, potatoes, chocolate and some fruits. Copper pipes may also add trace amounts of the metal to drinking water.

Cognitive abilities declined in all participants as they aged. Overall, copper intake was not associated with the rate of this decline. However, among the 604 individuals (16.2 percent of the study group) who consumed the most saturated and trans fats, cognitive function deteriorated more rapidly with the more copper they had in their diets. “The increase in rate for the high-fat consumers whose total copper intake was in the top 20 percent (greater than or equal to 1.6 milligrams per day) was equivalent to 19 more years of age,” the authors write.

Other metals assessed in this study, iron and zinc, did not show any effects on cognitive decline in interaction with a high-fat diet. Previous studies have found higher levels of copper in the blood of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and medications that bind with copper to block its effects have shown promise treating patients with the condition.

“This finding of accelerated cognitive decline among persons whose diets were high in copper and saturated and trans fats must be viewed with caution,” the authors conclude. “The supporting evidence on this topic is limited. The strength of the association and the potential impact on public health warrant further investigation.”

This study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging.
 

Study Shows Ingredient Commonly Found In Shampoos May Inhibit Brain Development

An ingredient found in many shampoos and other personal care products appears to interfere with normal brain development in baby mice when applied to the skin of pregnant mice, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have discovered.

When Diethanolamine (DEA) was applied to the skin of pregnant mice, the fetuses showed inhibited cell growth and increased cell death in an area of the brain responsible for memory - the hippocampus.

Previous research on DEA has focused on its potential as a carcinogen. The current study is the first exploration of the compound's affect on brain development.

The finding needs further study and should not cause undue alarm, said Dr. Steven Zeisel, Kenan Distinguished University Professor of nutrition in UNC's schools of public health and medicine and associate dean for research in the School of Public Health.

"I don't believe any woman who's been using these products needs to have a sleepless night about having caused harm to her child," Zeisel said.

"At this point it is a caution," he added. "But it would probably be prudent to look at labels and try to limit exposure until we know more."

The study is featured as the cover story in the August issue of the FASEB journal, published by The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

In addition to Zeisel, other authors of the study are UNC nutrition research analyst Corneliu N. Craciunescu and postdoctoral research associate Dr. Renan Wu.

DEA appears to block the body's ability to absorb the nutrient choline, which Zeisel has previously reported is essential for normal development of the brain. A pregnant woman requires extra choline so that she can pass the nutrient on to the fetus. "You need choline to build a baby," Zeisel said.

More than 100,000 tons of DEA are sold in the United States each year. It is used as a wetting or thickening agent in not only shampoos but also such products as hand soaps, hairsprays and sunscreens.

Other names for the compound include Lauramide diethanolamine, Coco Diethanolamide, coconut oil amide of diethanolamine, Lauramide DEA, Lauric diethanolamide, Lauroyl diethanolamide, and Lauryl diethanolamide.

A list of some products that contain DEA can be found at http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm.

The dose of DEA a person might get from shampooing is at least 10 times lower than the dose found to interfere with brain development in the study, Zeisel said.

Whether the amounts most people absorb from personal care products would cause harm remains unclear. Zeisel and colleagues are now doing further work to find out the lowest dose that causes an effect in mice, a process that could take about a year, he said.

The researchers also are exploring DEA's effect on other areas of the brain and are testing the effects of other compounds used in personal care products.

At very high doses, DEA treatment resulted in spontaneous miscarriages. "We saw smaller and smaller litters as we gave higher doses. No one has ever noted that before," Zeisel said.

"This agent not only affects brain development, but at higher doses probably affects some other development in a way that is fatal to the fetus," he said.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Smaller Bowls And Spoons Key To Eating Less

When it comes to choosing food bowls, you might want to follow Goldilocks's lead and opt for the baby-bear serving, but not because of the temperature. What makes smaller bowls "just right" for most people is how they help control the urge to over-serve food, says Koert van Ittersum, assistant professor of marketing at Georgia Tech College of Management.

Smaller spoons also help stop people from piling on too much food, according to a study conducted by van Ittersum with Brian Wansink of Cornell University and James Painter of Eastern Illinois University. Titled "Ice Cream Illusions: Bowls, Spoons, and Self-Served Portions," their study will appear in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The researchers believe their findings result from the human perceptual tendency to judge object sizes based on comparisons with neighboring items. Participants in the study, for example, served themselves 31 percent more ice cream when they were given a 34-ounce bowl instead of a 17-ounce bowl. Their servings increased by 14.5 percent when they were given a 3-ounce spoon instead of a 2-ounce utensil. When given both a large spoon and big bowl, they served themselves 56.8 percent more. Yet they were unaware of the greater ice cream quantities.

And these study participants were nutrition experts, a group one might expect to exhibit more moderation at food serving and consumption. The researchers invited eighty-five nutrition experts who didn't realize they were the subjects of an experiment to an ice-cream social. "While it is not clear how accurate people are in estimating ounces and calories, it was believed that this group would be most accurate given their expertise in nutrition," van Ittersum says.

When people over-serve themselves food, they're likely to overeat, he notes. That's because people eat an estimated 92 percent of the food they serve themselves. "If you want to lose weight, use smaller china and flatware," van Ittersum advises. "While 4 ounces of food on an 8-ounce plate might look like a good helping, 4 ounces on a 10-ounce plate could seem skimpy."

He believes these research findings have implications not only for those watching their weight, but also for the hospitality industry. Many experts have blamed expanding American waistlines on the growing size of restaurant food portions. Through the use of smaller plates, bowls and spoons, restaurants might be able to deflect such criticism while still convincing diners that they're getting a good value, van Ittersum says. "Of course, you cannot push this strategy to the limit," he says. "If people still feel hungry after they've finished their plate, you have a serious problem."

Research Shows Benefits Of Apple Juice On Neurotransmitter Affecting Memory

For those who think that apple juice is a kid's drink, think again. Apples and apple juice may be among the best foods that baby boomers and senior citizens could add to their diet, according to new research that demonstrates how apple products can help boost brain function similar to medication.

Animal research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice consumption may actually increase the production in the brain of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine, resulting in improved memory. Neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine are chemicals released from nerve cells that transmit messages to other nerve cells. Such communication between nerve cells is vital for good health, not just in the brain, but throughout the body.

"We anticipate that the day may come when foods like apples, apple juice and other apple products are recommended along with the most popular Alzheimer's medications," says Thomas Shea, Ph.D., director of the UML Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research.

The study will be published in the August issue of the international Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The abstract is now available online at http://www.j-alz.com/issues/9/vol9-3.html .

The role of acetylcholine in the brain is not a new area of research. Alzheimer's medication studies start with the premise that increasing the amount of acetylcholine in the brain can help to slow mental decline in people with Alzheimer's disease. Testing a similar hypothesis, the UML research team found that having animals consume antioxidant-rich apple juice had a comparable and beneficial effect.

In this novel animal study at UML, adult (9-12 months) and old (2-2.5 years) mice, some specially bred to develop Alzheimer's-like symptoms, were fed three different diets (a standard diet, a nutrient-deficient diet, and a nutrient-deficient diet supplemented with apple components (in this case, apple juice concentrate was added to their drinking water).

Among those fed the apple juice-supplemented diet, the mice showed an increased production of acetylcholine in their brains. Also, after multiple assessments of memory and learning using traditional Y maze tests, researchers found that the mice who consumed the apple juice-supplemented diets performed significantly better on the maze tests.

"It was surprising how the animals on the apple-enhanced diets actually did a superior job on the maze tests than those not on the supplemented diet," remarks Dr. Shea.

Earlier studies by Shea's research team had strongly suggested apples must possess a unique mix of antioxidants that improve cognition and memory via inhibition of oxidation in the brain. Those results encouraged Shea to evaluate the neurotransmitter effect, as is done in the current study. Medications given to humans with Alzheimer's disease have been shown to inhibit the production of specific enyzmes (cholinesterase inhibitors) that break down acetylcholine in the brain. The end result in the animal study is similar -- there are more of these critical messengers remaining in the brain to enhance memory.

The results obtained were from the animals consuming moderate amounts of apple juice --comparable to drinking approximately two 8 oz. glasses of apple juice or eating 2-3 apples a day. The findings also suggest that the apple-supplemented diet was most helpful in the framework of an overall healthy diet.

Shea concludes, "The findings of the present study show that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods such as apples and apple juice can help reduce problems associated with memory loss."

Shea also notes that a human clinical study evaluating consumption of apple products will begin in the near future.

This study was sponsored through an unrestricted grant by the U.S. Apple Association and the Apple Products Research and Education Council.

Comment
Wanted a few billion people to eat at least one apple a day.

Statins may be useful in bird flu pandemic

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 13 (UPI) -- A U.S. scientist says the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins might be helpful in the event of an influenza pandemic, .statins lower "bad" cholesterol levels in the blood by blocking the liver's production of cholesterol. Statins may further protect the heart by regulating the immune system and reducing inflammation. Recent studies suggest those effects also help patients with serious infectious diseases, such as pneumonia and bacterial infection of the blood.

Because influenza is associated with inflammation and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, Dr. David Fedson, a retired researcher for a major vaccine maker, says the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of statins might be of use.

"It is important to recognize the statins-influenza idea is only that -- an idea," Fedson said. "It needs to be confirmed by rigorous scientific studies."

He also notes statins wouldn't replace vaccines. "Unlike vaccines, they probably wouldn't prevent (influenza virus) infection itself," he said. But he says if research demonstrates statins are beneficial, "their value would most likely be in preventing serious complications and death."

The idea appears in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, a publication of the Alexandria, Va., Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- In an observational study, researchers found people who take a particular acne medication had higher cholesterol levels than previously thought, although doctors point out the side effects are easily reversible.

Teenagers and adults who took the medication isoretinoin, marketed as Acutane, had elevations in total cholesterol; triglycerides, or blood fats, which lead to cardiovascular disease; and increases in liver enzymes, which can create liver problems.

"Isoretinoin is undeniably the most effective medication we have for treating severe acne, and it can truly be a life-changing medication for people whose acne affects them greatly," said lead author Dr. Lee T. Zane, an assistant professor of clinical dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco.

"It's not a cause for concern until we work out the clinical outcomes."

The study, published in the August issue of the Archives of Dermatology, a JAMA/Archives journal, is the largest population-based study to date to look at laboratory abnormalities in patients on isotretinoin therapy.
Comment
They will sell this poison any way they can
 

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched three major clinical studies on autism at its research program on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. These studies are the first products of a new, integrated focus on autism generated in response to reported increases in autism prevalence and valid opportunities for progress. Initial studies will define the characteristics of different subtypes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and explore possible new treatments.

One study will define differences--both biological and behavioral--in autistic children with diverse developmental histories. Increasingly, scientists are considering the likelihood of "autisms," that is, multiple disorders that comprise autism. These studies seek to better define the subtypes within autism. Children with regressive autism appear to develop normal language and social skills but then lose these with the onset of autism before age 3. Non-regressive autism, the more common form of the disorder, begins early in life, possibly before birth, with evidence of subtle deficits throughout development. Children with these two forms of autism will be compared with those who have other developmental disorders, including various forms of developmental delay, as well as children with typical development. In addition, researchers will study a subset of the children in this study to investigate environmental factors that may trigger symptoms of autism.

In another study, NIMH researchers will examine the use of the antibiotic minocycline to measure its usefulness in treating regressive autism. Past research suggests that autism may be linked with changes in the immune response that cause inflammation in the brain. Minocycline has known anti-inflammatory effects and has been shown to be helpful in other brain disorders such as Huntington's disease.

The third study seeks to address the widespread but unproven theory that autism may be treated successfully by chelation therapy, which seeks to remove heavy metals from the blood. Chelation is more commonly used to treat lead toxicity, but currently, many families seek the treatment to try to remove mercury and other metals from their autistic children's blood. This practice is based on the belief that many cases of autism were caused by exposure to thimerosol, a mercury-based preservative previously used in childhood vaccines.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, since 2001, all vaccines recommended for children 6 years of age and younger have contained either no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of inactivated flu vaccine, which is manufactured in formulations both containing and free of thimerosal. Thimerosal-free influenza vaccine licensed for use in children six to 23 months of age is available in limited supply. Additionally, new pediatric vaccines that have received licensure do not contain thimerosal.

Regardless, many families continue to turn to chelation as a therapy for autism. NIMH will conduct a controlled study to test the efficacy and safety of chelation for children with autism spectrum disorders. However, the chelation also can remove essential mineral nutrients, such as calcium, iron, and zinc.

"Because chelation therapy is not specific for mercury alone, it is important to conduct a systematic, controlled trial to determine whether or not chelation therapy is beneficial or potentially harmful to children with autism," says Susan Swedo, M.D., who leads the branch on pediatric behavioral research in the NIMH Division of Intramural Research Programs, where the autism studies are being conducted.

Autism is a mental disorder that arises in early childhood and is characterized by delays in development of social and communication skills, as well as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Autism has a variety of presentations, and may represent several different diseases. It is part of a larger group of disorders, often referred to as autism spectrum disorders or ASDs, that also includes Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder. Developing better screening or diagnostic tools and finding effective treatments depend on gaining more information about these various disorders and subtypes, which currently are reported to affect 2--6 out of every 1000 children.

The NIMH Intramural Research Program is committed to conducting reliable and unbiased clinical research to improve human health. Each of the proposed studies has undergone a rigorous review process to ensure the quality and safety of the research. To learn more about this process or to find general information on clinical trials, please visit http://ClinicalTrials.gov.

Cocaine, in concentrations commonly sold on the street, causes the abnormal buildup of primitive proteins in heart muscle -- a process causing heart enlargement that can ultimately lead to sudden death, report researchers at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.

The study was published in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology.

"This finding is important because cocaine-related deaths most commonly occur in young people between the ages of 18 and 29, many of whom are totally unaware of the drug's toxic effects," said Robert Henning, MD, professor of medicine at the USF College of Medicine at the Haley VA Hospital.

In a comparative study that investigates ways in which our cognitive skills and characteristics as humans have been shaped by our primate ancestry, researchers report new findings showing that human infants display the same preferences as all other great apes in their strategies for remembering where things are, but that these preferences shift as humans develop.

This change in cognitive preference indicates a uniquely human developmental trajectory when compared to the cognitive development of other great apes, and it informs our general understanding of which aspects of our cognitive development have evolved within the human lineage. The findings are reported by Daniel Haun, Josep Call, Gabriele Janzen, and Stephen Levinson from the Max Planck Institutes for Evolutionary Anthropology and Psycholinguistics and appear in the September 5th issue of Current Biology, published by Cell Press.

Little is known about the inherited primate "background" of skills that underlies human cognition. Yet it is possible to trace the evolution of human cognitive abilities and tendencies by contrasting them with the skills of our nearest cousins--not just chimpanzees, but all the extant great apes--and thereby identify what we are likely to have inherited from our common ancestor.

In their new work, the researchers compared humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans in terms of their strategies for remembering where things are hidden. The researchers first showed that all non-human great apes and 1-year-old human infants exhibit identical preferences. This suggests that the common ancestor of all great apes enacted a similar strategy preference in employing spatial memory. The researchers then went on to examine 3-year-old human children and found that they show the reverse strategy preference. The new findings suggest that continuity exists between our species and the other great apes in the strategies we employ for spatial memory, but that this continuity is masked as human development proceeds.

A surprising new study finds that women in their 60s have as many risk factors for heart disease as men, and by their 70s have more, according to research led by demographers at the University of Southern California.

The findings, published in the current issue of the Journal of Women's Health, reflect a change from previous decades when older men were at greater risk for heart disease. Instead this research shows over the last 10 years, older women are doing worse, while men are doing better.

Women's risk for heart disease is still lower than men's through middle age. But the break-even point at which women catch up to men is now at age 60, 10 years earlier than before.

"Women are no longer protected from heart disease risk relative to men," said Eileen Crimmins, corresponding author and professor in USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. "Reports indicating that men are more likely to have more high-risk levels of blood pressure and cholesterol are no longer true in the U.S. population over 60 years of age."

Crimmins and her colleagues examined changes between 1988 and 2002 in indicators related to cardiovascular disease. The research team used data on men and women 40 and older from two broadly representative samples of the US population, approximately 10 years apart.

Among the findings:

* High risk blood pressure - both diastolic and systolic - increased in women but decreased in men. Medication against hypertension appeared to be more effective in men than women.

* Both men and women saw a decrease in high-risk HDL cholesterol, but men showed greater improvement. The use of cholesterol-lowering medication increased somewhat more for men.

* More women than men had high C-Reactive Protein (a marker of infection that in elevated levels has been shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease). This appears to be associated with increased use of hormone-replacement therapy, Crimmins said.

Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the U.S. Funding for the group's research came from the National Institute on Aging.

Neurosurgeons at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are renewing calls for a ban on use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) by children under age 16 after a 10-year review of injuries caused by the vehicles.

"Children have no experience or training in driving motorized vehicles, and they're driving them on uneven terrain where they can't see what's coming up ahead of them very well," says T.S. Park, M.D., the Shi Hui Huang Professor of Neurological Surgery at the School of Medicine and pediatric neurosurgeon-in-chief at St. Louis Children's Hospital. "This is leading to an increasing number of fatalities and devastating injuries with lifelong consequences for children and their parents."

Park and colleagues reviewed all cases seen at the hospital over a 10-year span, identifying 185 patients admitted as a result of ATV-related accidents. Among the study's findings:

* One-third of the patients suffered serious neurological injuries including cerebral hemorrhages and skull fractures.
* Two-thirds of the total patient population had to undergo inpatient rehabilitation.
* Two patients had spinal cord injuries.
* Two patients died.

The review was published in a July 2006 pediatric supplement to the Journal of Neurosurgery.

The study found twice as many males as females suffered neurological injuries. Patients included both riders and drivers, and their ages ranged from 2 to 17 years. Many of the injured did not wear helmets, according to Park.