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- Ketogenic diet, by replacing glucose with ketones as an energy source, lessens alcohol cravings among people with alcohol use disorders.
- Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease-related death by up to 23 percent, especially in people with high triglyceride levels.
- Women see a 24 percent drop in premature death risk with just 140 minutes of weekly activity – half the time men need for similar benefits.
- Aging undermines the brain's capacity for maintaining working memory, with subtle declines in neuron activity and connectivity in the prefrontal cortex.
As we age, our muscles' response to resistance training diminishes to varying degrees, with some people responding and others not. This non-responsiveness can make maintaining muscle mass and strength challenging in later years. A recent study found that increasing resistance training volume—the number of sets performed—overcomes non-responsiveness in older adults.
The study involved 85 older adults (average age, 68) who completed a 10-week resistance training program. Participants followed a low-volume protocol (one set) for one leg and a high-volume protocol (four sets) on the other leg while performing knee extensions twice weekly. Researchers measured their muscle size and assessed their leg strength before and after the intervention.
They found that 51 participants didn’t respond to the low-volume training. However, they experienced considerable muscle size and strength improvements when they increased their volume. Responders—those who saw muscle gains from the one-set protocol—also benefited from the higher volume, but their strength gains were similar regardless of volume.
These findings suggest that older adults who don’t see improvements from resistance training can achieve meaningful gains by increasing the number of sets performed. Learn more about resistance training in this clip featuring Dr. Brad Schoenfeld.
The gut-brain axis may hold more clues about cognitive decline than previously realized, with some evidence suggesting that gut microbial populations might influence brain health and cognitive function. A recent study found that older adults with cognitive impairment had distinct differences in their gut microbes compared to those without impairment.
Researchers assigned 229 adults aged 60 and older to one of two groups based on their cognitive function. They analyzed the diversity and composition of the participants' gut microbes and used machine learning to identify key bacterial species associated with cognitive impairment. They also investigated how lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise influenced these bacterial populations.
They found that participants with cognitive impairment had less diverse gut microbial populations than those without, indicating a potential link between less microbial diversity and cognitive decline. They noted that higher numbers of specific bacteria, including Megamonas, Blautia, and Veillonella, were associated with better cognitive function. They also found that higher fruit intake and regular exercise were linked to increased abundance of these beneficial species.
These findings suggest that maintaining a healthy gut microbiota through diet and exercise is essential in preserving cognitive function as we age. Time-restricted eating helps promote gut microbial diversity. Learn more in this clip featuring Dr. Satchin Panda.
Autoimmune diseases occur when the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues, driving chronic inflammation and tissue damage. However, evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may benefit people with autoimmune diseases. A recent study found that omega-3s help reduce disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus but are less effective against other autoimmune disorders.
Researchers conducted an umbrella review to summarize findings from 21 systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of omega-3s on autoimmune diseases. They also used Mendelian randomization—a method that leverages genetic data to identify causal relationships—to explore further whether omega-3s directly influence the risk of developing autoimmune diseases.
They found that omega-3s were associated with reduced inflammation and disease activity in people with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. However, they found no clear evidence of omega-3s' effects on other autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, or Crohn’s disease. The quality of evidence varied, with one high-quality study and several moderate or low-quality studies.
These findings suggest that omega-3 fatty acids benefit people with certain autoimmune disorders, but their effects vary across different conditions. Omega-3 fatty acids exert robust anti-inflammatory properties due to their formation of specialized pro-resolving molecules (SPMs), a broad class of metabolites that resolve inflammation. Learn more about SPMs in this clip featuring Dr. Bill Harris.
