Industrial trans fats are created when vegetable oils are chemically altered to stay solid at room temperature. They are found in coffee creamer, cakes, pie crusts, frozen pizza, cookies, crackers, biscuits and dozens of other processed foods. A recent study has found a link between high serum levels of industrial trans fats and an increased risk of developing dementia.

Participants in the study included 1,628 people aged 60 years or older. None of them had dementia at the beginning of the study. A blood test was administered at the start of the study to measure serum levels of elaidic acid, a biomarker for industrial trans fats. Participants were followed for 10 years and all cases of dementia were recorded.

During the follow-up period, 377 participants developed dementia. After adjusting for high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking, the researchers found that participants with the two highest levels of trans fats were 52% and 74% more likely to develop dementia compared to those with the lowest levels.

The study was conducted by researchers from Kyushu University. It was published online ahead of print on October 23, 2019 in the journal Neurology.

After middle age, adults lose approximately 3% of their muscle strength every year on average. A recent study has found an association between vitamin D deficiency and impaired muscle strength and performance.

The researchers analyzed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, which included 4,157 adults over the age of 60. Serum levels of vitamin D were measured, and a concentration of less than 30 nmo/L was classified as deficient. Muscle strength and physical function were assessed using the handgrip strength test and the Short Physical Performance Battery.

Participants with vitamin D deficiency were found to have muscle weakness that was twice as high (40.4%) as participants with vitamin D levels that were greater than or equal to 50 nmo/L (21.6%). Participants with vitamin D deficiency also had low handgrip strength and poor physical performance.

The study was conducted by researchers from Trinity College Dublin. It was published on October 15, 2019 in the journal Clinical Interventions in Ageing.

There has long been a debate regarding whether it is best to eat before or after exercising in the morning. A recent study has found that exercising before eating burns more fat and improves insulin sensitivity.

Thirty obese or overweight adult men participated in the study. The participants were split into three groups; breakfast before exercise, exercise before breakfast, or no exercise. The exercise groups engaged in moderate intensity cycling in the morning 3 times per week for 6 weeks.  Half of them ate breakfast before exercising and half did not. The researchers took blood samples at baseline and at the end of the study to measure plasma glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol concentrations.

Participants who exercised before eating breakfast burned twice the amount of fat than those who ate before exercising. They also had improved insulin sensitivity. The researchers stated that the increase in fat burned is due to lower insulin levels during exercise, which means the participants used more of the fat from their fat tissues and within their muscles as fuel. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Bath. It was published on October 19, 2019 in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which people can’t eat gluten because it will damage their small intestine. A new study has found that adults with undiagnosed celiac disease may have lower bone mineral density than adults without celiac disease.

Researchers from the George Mason University College of Health and Human Services looked at data from the What We Eat in America and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2014. The survey included 13,000 adults who were not pregnant or eating a gluten-free diet. Participants self-reported dietary and supplement intake, and bone density in the thighbones and femur necks was measured.

Participants with undiagnosed celiac disease were found to have lower femur bone mineral density and lower femoral neck bone mineral density compared to those without celiac disease. No differences were found in total spine bone mineral density. Participants with undiagnosed celiac disease were also found to have higher daily calcium intake and higher dairy consumption. The fact that they had lower bone mineral density suggests their bodies are not correctly absorbing nutrients.

The study was published online ahead of print on July 19, 2019 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

White matter hyperintensities are lesions in the brain that may increase the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, limited mobility, and increased incidence of falls. A new study has found that intensive lowering of blood pressure in older adults with hypertension may help reduce white matter lesions.

Participants in the study included 199 people with hypertension aged 75 or older. Half of them received intensive blood pressure treatment designed to lower their systolic blood pressure to 130 mmHg or less. The other received standard blood pressure treatment designed to lower their systolic blood pressure to 145 mmHg or less. 

The researchers tracked changes in mobility and accrual of white matter hyperintensity for a period of 3 years. They also evaluated changes in cognitive function and cardiovascular events.

Participants in the intensive treatment group saw a significant reduction in the accumulation of brain white matter disease. Specifically, the accrual of white matter lesions was reduced by up to 40% compared to those in the standard treatment group. Intensive treatment participants also had a lower rate of cardiovascular events. No differences were found in mobility or cognitive function between the two groups.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. It was published online ahead of print on October 14, 2019 in the journal Circulation.

Nitric oxide is a compound in the body that causes blood vessels to widen and stimulates the release of certain hormones, such as insulin and human growth hormone. Previous studies have found that citrulline malate may help increase nitric oxide production. Now a new study suggests that Nitrosigine is as effective as citrulline malate in increasing nitric oxide production.

Participants included 22 healthy, normotensive, moderately active young adults. The participants took part in three interventions, each followed by a 7-day washout period. During the interventions they were given 1.5 g of Nitrosigine, 8 g of citrulline malate, or a placebo. Flow-mediated dilation was measured at baseline and 60 minutes after consuming the supplement.

The researchers found that both Nitrosigine and citrulline malate resulted in a greater change in flow-mediated dilation compared to the placebo. Flow-mediated dilation is the widening of an artery when blood flow increases in that artery. The primary cause is a release of nitric oxide by endothelial cells.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Arkansas. It was presented at the International Society of Sports Nutrition Annual Conference held the week of June 13, 2019.

Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants helps nourish the brain and protect it from oxidative stress. According to a new study, it may also help improve depressive symptoms in young adults.

Seventy-six young adults in college participated in the study. All of them had elevated depressive symptoms and regularly consumed a poor diet. Half were assigned to consume a healthy diet for 3 weeks, while the other half continued to consume their regular diet. Participants in the diet group were told to increase consumption of vegetables, fruits, wholegrain grain, protein, unsweetened dairy, nuts and seeds, olive oil, and turmeric and cinnamon. They were told to decrease consumption of refined carbohydrates, sugar, fatty or processed meats, and soft drinks.

Depressive symptoms were measured at baseline and at the end of the study using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale-Revised (CESD-R) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). 

Participants in the diet group saw significant improvement in CESD-R scores. The average score improved from the elevated range to the no clinical significance range. Scores remained elevated in the control group. The average DASS-21 score in the diet group improved from the moderate severity range to the normal range. Scores remained in the moderate severity range in the control group. The diet group also had significantly lower anxiety scores compared to the control group.

The study was conducted by researchers from Macquarie University, Australia. It was published online ahead of print on October 9, 2019 in the journalPLOS One.

Mussels are high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and are also a good source of protein and essential amino acids. A recent study has found that mussels are a viable source for increasing omega-3 levels.

Twelve people participated in the study. Three times per week for two weeks they consumed a personalized lunch that derived approximately 20% of its calories from cooked mussels. Each participant received an average of 709.2 mg of EPA + DHA per meal from the mussels. Blood samples were taken throughout the study to measure omega-3 levels.

At the end of the study, the participants had significant increases in the omega-3 index, as well as whole blood EPA content. Six of the twelve participants improved their omega-3 status to a degree that is associated with a 20% reduction in sudden cardiac death risk.

The researchers noted that mussels might be a more environmentally sustainable way of achieving sufficient protein intake than other protein sources. The greenhouse gas emissions related to mussel production are a fraction of that related to production of other protein sources such as pork, beef, or chicken.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Stirling, Australia. It was published online ahead of print on October 2, 2019 in the journal Nutrients.

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.