Creatine is best known as a muscle supplement, but a new study examined whether it can also support immune cells involved in cancer defense. The researchers focused on dendritic cells, a type of immune cell that helps alert the immune system by presenting antigen fragments from viruses, bacteria, and tumors to T cells, which can then mount responses against infected or abnormal cells. The work combined cell experiments with an animal tumor model. In mouse dendritic cells, the researchers tested whether the ability to take up creatine affected cell survival, immune signaling, and the activatio... cancer creatine
Read moreHigh doses of creatine have recently been shown to help preserve cognitive performance during acute sleep deprivation, but it is less clear whether a lower dose can provide similar benefits. A new study included 29 healthy adults aged 20 to 40 in a crossover trial. Each participant completed two separate sleepless nights in random order, receiving a single dose of 0.2 grams of creatine monohydrate per kilogram of body weight (0.2 g/kg; about 14 grams on average) on one night and a placebo on the other. Participants stayed awake from about 7 a.m. until around 4:30 a.m. the next morning. Cogniti... cognition creatine sleep
Read morePrediabetes affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and growing evidence suggests that its different subtypes do not respond uniformly to the same interventions. In a new study, researchers focused on impaired glucose tolerance, a common form of prediabetes marked by high blood sugar after meals, and tested whether a supplement rich in anthocyanins (polyphenols found in berries and other deeply colored fruits) could help the body handle sugar more effectively. A total of 68 Chinese adults aged 30 to 60 with isolated impaired glucose tolerance took part in this randomized, double-bli... diabetes metabolism polyphenol
Read moreLaboratory and animal studies suggest lithium could protect the brain from cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, but results from human trials have been mixed. To clarify the picture, researchers combined data from multiple clinical trials to test whether pharmaceutical lithium salts have meaningful benefits for brain health. The authors systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed six randomized, placebo-controlled trials (435 participants) that compared lithium supplementation with placebo in studies lasting roughly 10 weeks to 24 months. All participants had either mild cognitive impairm... cognition dementia lithium
Read moreA recent study found that older adults who engaged in flexibility (stretching) exercises were 20 percent less likely to die prematurely than those who didn't stretch. The study involved more than 34,000 adults between the ages of 20 and 79 years. Participants provided information about the frequency and duration of their engagement in moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activities, including aerobic, resistance, and flexibility exercises. Researchers tracked the participants' health for roughly 10 years and noted any deaths. They found that engaging in just flexibility exercises... exercise aging mortality cardiovascular
Read morePoor sleeping habits impair normal cognitive and metabolic function and are associated with worse mental and physical health outcomes in the short- and long-term. Sleep loss may also interfere with protein synthesis, driving skeletal muscle losses, a risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and frailty. Authors of a recent report measured the effects of sleep deprivation on muscle protein synthesis. Skeletal muscle is metabolically active. Having more muscle mass promotes insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Previous research in rats has shown that sleep dep... sleep metabolism hormones cortisol testosterone muscle protein
Read moreAverage sugar consumption in the United States has increased 50 percent since the 1970s, due in part to the use of high fructose corn syrup in beverages and other processed foods. The mechanisms by which added sugars lead to metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease have been explored in research using mouse models; however, the dose of sugar used in these animal studies is usually much larger than what is normally consumed by people. Authors of this report investigated the effects of human-relevant doses of added sugars on health and ... sugar metabolism cholesterol mortality blood sugar sugar-sweetened beverages reproductive health
Read moreInsulin sensitivity refers to how well the body's cells respond to insulin – a critical aspect of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. Lifestyle behaviors and dietary modification may help improve insulin sensitivity. Findings from a new study suggest that early time restricted eating improves insulin sensitivity. Time-restricted eating is a form of daily fasting that aligns the eating and fasting cycles to the body’s innate 24-hour circadian system. People who practice time-restricted eating typically eat during an 8- to 12-hour daytime window and fast during the remaining 12 to 16 hour... time-restricted eating metabolism fasting circadian rhythm muscle insulin blood sugar weight loss
Read moreFasting or beta-hydroxybutyrate administration reduces cellular senescence. Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) (https://foundmyfitness.com/topics/beta-hydroxybutyrate) is a ketone produced by the body during times of carbohydrate scarcity such as those encountered while practicing a ketogenic diet (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413117304904), fasting (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/4/1194), or exercise (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2707428), which have all demonstrated the ability to extend healthspan and lifespan. However, the precise effect... aging ketosis heart disease dna damage fasting ketogenic diet
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