Glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, has been linked to widespread inflammation and neuronal damage in the brain. A recent study in mice found that glyphosate and its primary metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid, persist in brain tissue for months after exposure, potentially contributing to neurodegenerative changes. Researchers exposed ordinary mice and mice prone to developing Alzheimer's to varying doses of glyphosate daily for 13 weeks. Six months later, they examined the animals' brain tissues for lingering glyphosate, metabolites, and key markers of Alzheimer's pathology, including amy... brain alzheimer's dementia pollution
Read moreThe list of health attributes of broccoli includes anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-diabetes effects, as well as many others. Now a new study in mice shows that eating broccoli protects the gut. Molecules in broccoli interact with proteins present in the small intestine, increasing the number of cells involved in safeguarding the gut. Researchers fed one group of mice a diet containing 15 percent freeze-dried broccoli – roughly equivalent to 3.5 cups of fresh broccoli in the human diet. They fed another group their typical food, which included no broccoli. Then they examined the animals' sma... gut diet inflammation immune system sulforaphane
Read moreA new study in mice shows that choline deficiency increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers fed mice that are predisposed to Alzheimer's disease either a choline-rich or choline-poor diet for seven months, starting in midlife until late life. They subjected the mice to motor and memory skills tests, and then they examined the animals' brains and other organs. They found that mice that ate a choline-poor diet had higher brain levels of amyloid-beta and tau – two proteins implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease – than those that ate a choline-rich diet. The mice that ... nutrition alzheimer's memory blood-brain barrier
Read moreExtra virgin olive oil boosts brain function and halts the effects of aging on the brain, a 2019 study in mice found. Mice that ate an olive oil-rich diet had fewer abnormal deposits of tau – a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease – in their brains and performed better on memory tests than mice that didn't eat olive oil. Researchers fed mice that are predisposed to developing abnormal tau deposits in their brains an olive oil-enriched diet or their regular chow from young adulthood to older adulthood. They subjected the mice to various cognitive tests and then they examined the anima... brain alzheimer's diet
Read moreButyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, may suppress colon cancer growth. Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of death in developed nations. Health experts attribute much of the risks associated with colon cancer to dietary patterns, especially those that are high in red meat and low in fruits, vegetables, and fiber (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7695871/). Findings from a 2009 study suggest that butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, activates a protein called GPR109A in the colon to suppress colon cancer. Short-chain fatty acids are produced by the gut microbiota during the fermentation ... cancer butyrate
Read moreNutrient sensing – a cell's capacity to recognize and respond to fuel sources – plays a critical role in human health, ultimately influencing the aging process and susceptibility to age-related disease. Findings from a recent study suggest that dietary interventions exert powerful effects on proteins produced in the liver, fundamentally "reprogramming" nutrient-sensing pathways. Multiple studies have investigated the possibility that dietary strategies or drugs can alter nutrient-sensing pathways to improve metabolic health and extend lifespan. For example, robust evidence indicates that inter... diet aging metformin
Read moreSulforaphane is a bioactive compound derived from certain cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and broccoli sprouts. It exerts potent anti-inflammatory properties and switches on the activity of a vast array of cellular protective proteins. A new study in mice demonstrates that sulforaphane inhibits activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in mice microglia cells via inhibition of the NF-kB pathway and altered gene expression. Inflammasomes are large, intracellular complexes that detect and respond to internal and external threats. Activation of inflammasomes has been implicated in a host of ... inflammation sulforaphane nrf2 nlrp3
Read moreMore than 20,000 people die every year in the United States from influenza-related complications. Findings from a new study demonstrate that a ketogenic diet confers protection against the influenza virus and improves survival rates in mice. A ketogenic diet is a high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate eating pattern that causes the body to oxidize fat to produce ketones for energy. The ketogenic diet has been used in the clinical setting to reduce seizures in children and is being investigated for the treatment of traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, weight loss, and cancer. Th... ketosis immune system protein carbohydrates weight loss ketogenic diet
Read moreThe bones of treated mice scored an average of 19% higher on a measure of the ability to resist twisting stress, known as the polar moment of inertia. They don’t yet know which receptors irisin interacts with, but they suggest it prompts the production of proteins that in turn increase the expression of key genes—those that drive immature cells to differentiate into osteoblasts, which synthesize new bone. ... exercise aging performance protein
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