FODMAP stands for ‘fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols.’ In a low-FODMAP diet, people avoid foods that are high in these carbohydrates. A recent study suggests that a low-FODMAP diet may help improve gut symptoms and quality of life in people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Participants in the study included 52 people with inflammatory bowel syndrome. All were experiencing persistent gut symptoms despite not having any on-going gut inflammation. Half of the group followed a low-FODMAP diet for four weeks, while the other half followed a control diet. Gut symptoms and quality of life were assessed using questionnaires at baseline and after 4 weeks. Fecal microbiome composition and function were also assessed.

The researchers found that 52% of the participants in the low-FODMAP diet reported sufficient relief of gut symptoms. They also had a greater reduction in inflammatory bowel syndrome scores than those in the control diet group. Additionally, participants in the low-FODMAP group had higher quality of life scores at the end of the study, compared to those in the control diet group.

Participants in the low-FODMAP diet group also had significantly lower abundance of the gut bacterium Bifidobacterium adolescentis, B longum, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Markers of inflammation did not differ significantly between the two groups.

The study was conducted by researchers from King’s College London. It was published online ahead of print on October 2, 2019 in the journal Gastroenterology.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program designed to improve cardiovascular health in people who have experienced heart attack or heart failure. A recent study looked at the physical and psychological impact of an exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program on young, old, and very old people. The researchers found that the program benefited all age groups, and that the biggest benefit was seen in people with the greatest physical impairments at baseline.

Participants in the study included 733 people who had been referred for cardiac rehabilitation at the Clinique Les Rosiers between January 2015 and September 2017. The participants were divided into 3 subgroups: less than 65 years old, between 65 and 80 years old, and 80 years or older. All participants completed a 25-session cardiac rehabilitation program. The researchers evaluated physical and psychological measurements at baseline and following cardiac rehabilitation.

All the participants saw significant improvements in exercise capacity. They also saw significant decreases in anxiety and depression scores. Participants with the lowest physical scores at baseline benefitted the most from the exercise program. Patients younger than 65 with high levels of anxiety and depressed patients over the age of 65 had the highest improvements in physical performance.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Burgundy Franche-Comté. It was published in the October 2019 issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

Sleep onset latency is the length of time it takes to transition from full wakefulness to sleep. The sleep onset latency period typically is extremely long for people who suffer from insomnia. A new study suggests that Ashwagandha root may help improve sleep onset latency and sleep quality.

Participants in the study included 60 people between the ages of 18 and 60 who suffered from insomnia. Half the participants took 300 mg of Ashwagandha root extract twice a day for 10 days. The other half took a placebo. The researchers used sleep actigraphy to monitor sleep onset latency, total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency at baseline, week 5, and week 10. Sleep quality was self-assessed using a seven-point scale. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale was used to measure anxiety.

Participants in the supplement group had significantly shorter sleep onset latency at the end of the study compared to the placebo. They also had significant improvements in sleep efficiency and sleep quality. Additionally, the supplement group had a significant decrease in their Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Patil University School of Medicine. It was published online ahead of print on September 28, 2019 in the journal Cureus.

Sugary beverages are drinks that contain added sugars or sweeteners, such as soda, sports drinks, fruit juice, and energy drinks. A new study has found that increasing consumption of sugary beverages over time may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The researchers used data from three long-term studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II, and the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study. These studies included 192,00 adults, and participants were followed for an average of 24 years. Changes in sugary beverage consumption (including sugar-sweetened beverages and 100% fruit juice) over time were calculated based on responses to food frequency questionnaires, which were administered every 4 years.

Increasing sugary beverage consumption by more than 4 ounces per day over a four-year period was associated with a 16% increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes in the following 4 years. Increasing consumption of artificially sweetened beverages by 4 ounces per day was associated with an 18% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Conversely, replacing one daily serving of a sugary beverage with water, coffee, or tea was associated with 2-10% decreased risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It was published online ahead of print on October 3, 2019 in the journal Diabetes Care.

Previous research has found that flavonoids may help improve cognitive function due to their neuroprotective properties and ability to enhance neuronal function. Now a new study has found that a flavonoid-rich wild blueberry drink may help improve memory and executive function in children.

Fifty-four children between the ages of 7 and 10 participated in the study. They drank a wild blueberry drink containing 253 mg of flavonoids or a placebo. Verbal memory, executive function, and reading efficiency were assessed at baseline and 2 hours after consuming the drink.

Participants in the blueberry drink group had enhanced verbal memory performance compared to participants in the placebo group. They also had improved reaction times with no negative effects on accuracy. No significant effects were seen for reading efficiency.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Reading and the University of London. It was published online ahead of print on October 16, 2019 in the European Journal of Nutrition.

Fragmented physical activity is activity that is less frequent and shorter in duration. A new study has found an association between fragmented daily activity and an increased risk of mortality.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University used data from 548 adults participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Participants wore accelerometers between 2007 and 2015 to track quantities and patterns of physical activity. Mortality data was also collected for the same period.

More fragmented physical activity patterns were found to be associated with an increased risk of mortality. Each 10% higher activity fragmentation was associated with a 49% increase in the risk of mortality, compared to those with lower activity fragmentation. Engaging in activity bouts that lasted less than 5 minutes was especially associated with increased mortality risk, compared to those with activity bouts that lasted 10 minutes or longer. Each additional 10% of active time spent in bouts lasting less than 5 minutes was associated with a 28% increase in mortality risk.

The study was published on October 2, 2019 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Physical exercise helps maintain good blood flow to the brain and may encourage new brain cell growth and survival. However, it can be difficult for people with dementia to participate in exercise programs due to impaired cognition or mobility issues. A recent study assessed the effects of chair yoga on people with moderate to severe dementia and found they were able to safely participate and that it may improve their quality of life.

Twenty-seven adults who had been diagnosed with moderate to severe dementia participated in the study. Participants were assigned to participate in chair yoga, music intervention, or a chair-based exercise program. They attended the programs twice a week for 45 minutes for 12 weeks. The researchers measured physical function and quality of life at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks.

All of the participants were able to safely take part in the programs. The chair yoga group had significant improvements in quality of life compared to the music intervention group. These improvements were seen in physical condition, mood, functional abilities, interpersonal relationships, and ability to participate in meaningful activities.

The study was conducted by researchers from Florida Atlantic University. It was published online ahead of print on September 18, 2019 in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias.

Bacopa monnieri is a creeping plant mainly found in wet, damp, and marshy areas throughout India. It has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for memory decline, pain, fevers, and inflammation. Researchers recently reviewed two studies that suggest that bacopa monnieri may help improve cognitive functioning and learning capability.

Participants in the first study included 39 adults new diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. All the participants took 300 mg of Bacopa monnieri twice daily for 6 months. They took the Mini Mental State Examination Scale at baseline and at the end of the study. They showed statistically significant improvements in a number of components of the test including orientation of time, place andperson, attention and in the language component in terms of reading, writing and comprehension.

Sixty medical students participated in the second study. They were given 150 mg of Bacopa monnieri or a placebo twice daily for 6 weeks. Memory tests were administered at baseline and after 6 weeks. Participants in the bacopa monnieri group showed significant improvements in the memory tests.

The review was conducted by researchers from Taylor’s University, Malaysia. It was published on January 1, 2019 in the journal Drug Target Insights.

What we eat may affect not just our physical health but also our mental health. The standard American diet tends to be deficient in polyunsaturated fatty acids and high in trans fats and saturated fats. A recent study suggests that supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly EPA, may help improve mental health.

Researchers from the University of South Wales reviewed 33 studies that evaluated the association between nutrient intake and mental health. The studies included a total of 10,951 participants, all of whom were at risk of or suffering from common or severe mental health disorders.

The researchers found that supplementation with 2,200 mg of EPA in conjunction with antidepressants had the highest benefit for treatment of depression. Supplementation with EPA  was found to also be potentially helpful for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. The benefit was found to be highest in participants with raised inflammatory markers.

The study was published online ahead of print on September 9, 2019 in the journal World Psychiatry.

Many women experience hot flashes and depression when they are postmenopausal. According to a recent study, St. John’s wort may help reduce the incidence of hot flashes and help improve mood in women who are postmenopausal.

Participants in the study included 70 postmenopausal women between the ages of 45 and 60. Half of them took a supplement containing 0.990 mg of St. John’s wort daily for two months. The other half took a placebo. The Kupperman Index was used to gather data about hot flashes. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used to measure depression symptoms at baseline and after 8 weeks.

The researchers found that the frequency and intensity of hot flashes was significantly decreased in the supplement group, compared to the placebo group. The intensity of depression as also significantly decreased in the supplement group. By the end of the study, 80% of the women in the supplement group did not have depression, compared to 5.7% in the placebo group.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Menopause & Andropause Research Center. It was published online ahead of print on May 31, 2019 in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine.