Monthly Archives: June 2017
Banned chemicals pass through umbilical cord from mother to baby
“Trace amounts of flame retardants, banned in the U.S. for more than a decade, are still being passed through umbilical cord blood from mothers to their babies, according to new Indiana University research. The chemicals are linked to health concerns including hormone disruption and low birth weight.”
Chemical transformation of xenobiotics by the human gut microbiota
“The microorganisms that inhabit the human gut alter the chemical structures of ingested compounds, including dietary components, industrial chemicals, and drugs. These changes affect xenobiotic toxicity, biological activity, and bioavailability. The gut microbial enzymes responsible for many of these transformations are poorly understood.”
Nonpharmacologic Intervention Improves Mood and Cognitive Function in People with Multiple Sclerosis
“A modified Paleolithic diet, exercise, EStim, and stress management intervention like this one has the potential to improve the mood and cognitive symptoms that can lead to considerable suffering in people with MS, potentially improving quality of life and function for people with progressive MS.”
Understanding Muscle Dysfunction in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
“Bioenergetic muscle dysfunction is evident in CFS/ME, with a tendency towards an overutilisation of the lactate dehydrogenase pathway following low-level exercise, in addition to slowed acid clearance after exercise. Potentially, these abnormalities may lead to the perception of severe fatigue in CFS/ME.”
Extra-virgin olive oil preserves memory and protects brain against Alzheimer’s
“In a study published online June 21 in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, the researchers show that the consumption of extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain—classic markers of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Studies link nutrient, academic achievement in pre-adolescent children
“Two new studies find that children with higher lutein levels in the eye tend to do better than others on tests of cognition and academic achievement, even after accounting for other factors known to influence academic performance such as IQ, gender, body composition and physical fitness.”
Pre-clinical study suggests Parkinson’s could start in gut endocrine cells
“According to findings published June 15 in the journal JCI Insight, Duke researchers and collaborators from the University of California, San Francisco, hypothesize that an agent in the gut might interfere with alpha-synuclein in gut endocrine cells, deforming the protein. The deformed or misfolded protein might then spread via the nervous system to the brain […]
Profound perturbation induced by triclosan exposure in mouse gut microbiome
“Triclosan exposure has a profound impact on the mouse gut microbiome by inducing perturbations at both compositional and functional levels. To our best knowledge, this is the first evidence regarding the functional alterations of gut microbiome induced by triclosan exposure, which may provide novel mechanistic insights into triclosan exposure and associated diseases.”
Microbe from Yogurt Impedes Drug-Resistant Bacteria
“Lactobacillus parafarraginis KU495926, extracted from yogurt, hindered the growth of 14 multidrug-resistant and so-called extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) bacteria obtained from infected patients at a Washington D.C. hospital, according to Howard University biologists at the annual American Society for Microbiology meeting held in New Orleans this week (June 1-5).”
Olive oil nutrient linked to processes that prevent cancer in brain
“A compound found in olive oil may help to prevent cancer developing in the brain, a study shows. Research into oleic acid — the primary ingredient in olive oil — has shown how it can help prevent cancer-causing genes from functioning in cells. The oily substance — one of a group of nutrients known as […]