Interest in edubily is growing, not only in Germany but also in other countries. From that point of view, I decided to include articles in English, so that some messages are unterstood not only by German folks.
Today I’ll start a series of what I call „Research of the Week“ in order to present some interesting research, I read this week.
(a) n3 fatty acids and the prevention of osteoarthritis
The progression of arthritis is significantly slowed by feeding mice a small dose of n3 fatty acids.
While obesity seems to play a role in this disease, this study suggests that it is more likely the dietary choice that influences the progression.
The researchers found that arthritis was significantly associated with the mice’s diets, but not with body weight. The mice that ate diets high in saturated fat or omega 6 fatty acids experienced significant worsening of their arthritis, while mice consuming a small supplement of omega 3 fatty acids had healthier joints.
“While omega 3 fatty acids aren’t reversing the injury, they appear to slow the progression of arthritis in this group of mice,” Guilak said. “In fact, omega 3 fatty acids eliminated the detrimental effects of obesity in obese mice.”
It is some sort of proof what most people inherently know: You are what you eat.
“This made us think that maybe it’s not how much weight you gain, but what you eat,” Guilak said.
Farshid Guilak et al. Dietary fatty acid content regulates wound repair and the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis following joint injury. 2014.
(b) n3 fatty acids prevent heart failure and cardiac fibrosis
Good news are emerging regarding the role of n3 fatty acids in human health. Genetically modified mice which produce their own EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are protected from cardivascular diseases and have a improved cardiac function.
This is true especially for one derviate of EPA namely 18-HydroxyEPA.
In fact that’s nothing new. Research done by Jinghai Chen et al., 2011, showed equally effective results: n3 fatty acids significantly prevented cardiac remodeling that usually develops after chronic pressure overload.
Modified gene expression at its best.
Jin Endo, Motoaki Sano, Yosuke Isobe, Keiichi Fukuda, Jing X. Kang, Hiroyuki Arai, and Makoto Arita. 18-HEPE, an n-3 fatty acid metabolite released by macrophages, prevents pressure overload–induced maladaptive cardiac remodeling. 2014.
(c) Vitamin D is a strong marker of potential survival of bowel cancer, study conducted by University of Edinburgh shows.
Blood Vitamin D values were significantly correlated to the survival of bowl cancer. The researchers analysed the blood of nearly 1600 participants. The correlation was especially significant for patients who were diagnosed with stage II of the disease. Stage II is characterised by a large tumor that hasn’t spread yet.
Researchers found that three quarters of the patients with the highest vitamin D levels were still alive at the end of five years, compared with less than two thirds of those with the lowest levels.
(d) Dietary protein protects liver from becoming fatty, while reducing plasma triglycerides in young men and women consuming a hypercaloric high(er) fat diet. Furthermore, participants had significantly less body fat and gained lean mass, study shows.
Study confirms what we all know: A high(er) protein diet dramatically lowers intrahepatic fat (liver fat: 35% vs. 51%) while reducing plasma triglycerides (0.65 mmol/L vs. 0.77 mmol/L), in attendees consuming a hypercaloric high fat diet. Not surprising though is the fact, that those participants gained less body fat but in fact gained some lean mass also.
My message: You don’t want a fatty liver? You should eat more protein.
Rietmann et al. Increasing Protein Intake Modulates Lipid Metabolism in Healthy Young Men and Women Consuming a High-Fat Hypercaloric Diet. 2014.
