Calorie restriction does more than reduce body fat; it also changes how cells maintain and repair themselves. Researchers investigated whether semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist widely used for weight loss, could reproduce some of those effects when given late in life. The experiments began in female mice at 20 months of age. One randomized comparison followed 40 mice receiving daily semaglutide and 39 receiving inactive saline injections until their death. Separate mice underwent three months of treatment before tests of memory, physical abilities and glucose control, alongside cellular s... cognition diabetes exercise GLP-1 inflammation neurodegeneration neurogenesis neurons weight loss
Read moreButyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced in the gut, reduces skin allergies. The skin is an important biological barrier that plays critical roles in the body's innate immune response. Skin allergies, which typically appear early in life and can impair barrier function, have become more common in recent decades (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db121.htm). Findings from a recent study suggest that butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced in the gut, reduces atopic dermatitis, a type of skin allergy. Short-chain fatty acids are fatty acids that contain fewer than six carbons... gut allergies fiber
Read moreSARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, elicits both acute and chronic damage to the lungs and heart. Other parts of the body may be affected, too, including the kidneys, brain, skin, and olfactory tissues (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7470660/). Evidence from a recent study indicates that SARS-CoV-2 infects pancreatic beta cells, increasing the risk of developing diabetes. Pancreatic beta cells are endocrine cells that produce, store, and release insulin. Beta cell failure and death are hallmarks of type 1 and type 2 diabetes (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16306347/). M... covid-19
Read moreNicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) plays an essential role in multiple physiological processes, including energy metabolism, DNA repair, and immune activation. Cellular NAD+ production declines with age, however, and its depletion has been implicated in the onset and progression of a wide range of age-related conditions. Findings from a new study suggest that NAD+ is beneficial in treating heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The heart's ejection fraction is a measure of how much blood the left ventricle pumps with each contraction. Heart failure with preserved ejection frac... nutrition heart disease
Read moreBroccoli sprouts contain more glucoraphanin than mature broccoli. This episode covers the basics of sprouting broccoli seeds. ... sulforaphane alzheimer's cancer cardiovascular
Watch nowWorld health experts estimate that nearly 1.9 billion adults and 380 million children are overweight or obese. Having excess body fatness carries many risks, including increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and many types of cancer (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27909899). A recent review suggests that the effects of obesity are similar to those associated with aging. Obesity, a condition characterized by access body fatness, is commonly defined as being 20 percent above a person's ideal body weight, which corresponds to having a body mass index... obesity aging
Read moreOxidative stress drives many disease processes. In mitochondria, in particular, it promotes the release of mitochondrial DNA into surrounding cytosol where it can trigger cellular responses involved in autoimmunity. A critical aspect of mitochondrial DNA release is the formation of pores created by the oligomerization of specific proteins called voltage-dependent anion channels (VDACs), which are found in the outer mitochondrial membrane. A new study in a mouse model of lupus suggests that inhibition of VDAC oligomerization blocks mitochondrial DNA release, preventing subsequent immune respon... immune system mitochondria protein autoimmunity
Read moreAdults that were subjected to sleep deprivation for 36 hours experienced a 50% increase in a protein called tau that is linked to neuronal cell death and Alzheimer's disease. It has previously been shown that a single night of poor-quality sleep raised levels of A-beta, another protein linked to Alzheimer's disease, by 30%. Sleep is one of the most important determinants of brain health. Sleep is when the brain repairs itself and clears away buildup of aggregated proteins, cellular debris, and other harmful agents. One way this occurs is through the activation of the glymphatic system which is... alzheimer's sleep neurons protein
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