Here you can find a selection of the latest research news stories and medical breakthroughs. Take a look below to learn more!
How and Why Does Gut Health Influence Heart Health?
Doctors believe that there is a link between the heart and the gut that is mediated by the health and balance of the gut microbiome.
“Keeping the microbiome healthy is increasingly found to be critically important for all of our organs — including the heart and arteries,” says Dr. Lebowitz.
“We know that is possibly the main driver these days when it comes to so many health problems, especially with the heart. The microbiome plays a big role in counteracting inflammation,” he continues.
With so much evidence pointing towards a link between the gut microbiome and cardiovascular health, following a healthy diet rich in foods that aid the good bacteria in the gut is important.
Learn more about which are the best foods for your gut:
Eating More Kiwi Fruit Could Boost Your Mental Health in a Few Days
A recent study found that eating kiwi fruit helped boost mood within a few days among people with low vitamin C levels.
Kiwifruit may help with gastrointestinal function and improve blood sugar and lipid levels. It contains fiber, potassium, and vitamin E, and fairly high levels of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is a critical nutrient that helps with immune system function and wound healing. Prior studies suggest that vitamin C supplements and vitamin-C-rich fruits can help boost mood.
To learn more about the potential benefits of Vitamin C and kiwifruits on mood, check out the link below:
Fasting-like Diet May Help Reverse Biological Aging by 2.5 Years
A study showed a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) lowered insulin resistance, liver fat, inflammation, and other markers associated with aging.
The study included men and women between 18 and 70. Participants who followed the fasting-mimicking diet went through 3-4 monthly cycles, following the FMD for 5 days and adhering to a normal diet for the other 25 days.
After the study, those in the FMD group had less insulin resistance, lower HbA1c results, and better fasting glucose results. They also had less abdominal fat and liver fat and lowered markers associated with biological aging by 2.5 years on average.
Although the fasting-like diet isn’t suitable for everyone, you can learn more about the benefits here:
Type 2 Diabetes Risk May be Higher in People with Shorter Sleep Duration
Individuals with sleep durations of five or fewer hours per day could have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Researchers used data from 247,867 participants to examine the connection between sleep patterns, eating habits, and type 2 diabetes.
The scientists indicated that increasing daily sleep duration to seven hours might reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“When you don’t sleep well or for long enough, your insulin levels can be off. You might be hungrier than normal the next day, so your food consumption is also off. Over the long term, these can contribute to developing diabetes,” said Dr. Shafipour.
To learn more about the connection between sleep and type 2 diabetes, click the link below:
Cacao Extract Supplement Found to Have Benefits for Cognition in Older Adults
Daily cocoa extract supplements may improve cognitive health among older people consuming a poor-quality diet.
A recent study of 573 participants suggests that daily cocoa extracts may promote cognitive health in older people with habitually poor diet quality.
Cocoa is rich in flavanols, which may relieve oxidative stress and inflammation.
Dr. Vyas hypothesised that consumption of dietary cocoa flavanols may reduce such stressors on cognition and may also be “modulating other neuroprotective mechanisms.”
Learn more:
A Natural Compound Derived From Broccoli May Help Prevent and Treat Stroke
Each year about 15 million people globally experience a stroke.
Researchers from the Heart Research Institute in Australia have found that a natural chemical found in broccoli may help both prevent and treat stroke.
“Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have evolved to produce a unique class of natural products known as isothiocyanates, renowned for their chemopreventive and neuroprotective properties,” Dr. Liu explained.
The main treatment for strokes is using medications such as tPA to break down clots, which typically have a success rate of 20%. Scientists found adding the broccoli-derived compound to tPA bumped the medication’s success rate to 60%.
Learn more about this compound here:
How Sleep Loss May Lead to Heightened Pain Sensitivity
Researchers say a specific neurotransmitter decreases during insufficient sleep, leaving the body more sensitised to pain.
About two-thirds of all adults occasionally experience insomnia symptoms and lack of sleep is a global problem. Those who do not get enough sleep also frequently experience body pain, such as headaches, migraines, lower back pain, and chronic pain.
Researchers found that lack of sleep causes low levels of a neurotransmitter called N-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) within an area of the brain called the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), resulting in heightened pain sensitivity, medically known as hyperalgesia.
To learn more about this topic and hear ways that you can improve your sleep, click the link below: