Nutrition - Page 12 of 18

This Widespread Diet Increases Depression Risk

This diet increases the risk of depression by changing tryptophan metabolism, which is important for brain function.

Eating a typical Western style diet increases the risk of depression, whereas healthy eating patterns with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables have been shown to lower depression.

The Western style diet is typically rich in processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats.

A study reveals that higher intake of the Western diet lowers levels of a neuroprotective molecule known as kynurenic acid (KA).

Serotonin and KA are products of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that our body can’t make and so must come from food.

These compounds are important for regions of the brain related to anxiety, cognition, depression, addiction, passivity or violence, and eating behaviours.

The Western diet appears to alter tryptophan metabolism, resulting in lower levels of KA and therefore greater odds of depression.

Dr Edwin Lim, the study’s senior author, said:

“Western-style diets high in fat, sugar and processed foods were already known to increase the risk of depression, but this is the first time a biological link involving the kynurenine pathway has been established.
In this study, we tested participants’ urine for several biological markers, including KA and inflammation, and compared them with how healthy their diet was and the severity of depression symptoms.
People from the group eating an unhealthy diet had lower levels of KA and more severe symptoms of depression.
This indicates that KA may help to protect us against depression.”

The Western diet has already been linked to a wide range of problems including:

brain damage,
stress,
Alzheimer’s disease,
slower learning and poorer memory,
immune system problems such as inflammatory skin disease,
and even more severe COVID infection,

The Western diet and tryptophan

Tryptophan is essential for the human body to function and the typical Western diet is low in nutrients such as tryptophan.

Foods such as milk, fish, cheese, chicken, turkey, eggs, oats, nuts, and seeds are good sources of tryptophan.

Tryptophan breaks down into metabolites delivering various protective functions to the brain.

They are also used by the body for inflammatory responses and cells regulation against disorders such as dementia, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

In the brain, tryptophan is converted into serotonin and serotonin into melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep and mood.

KA is also made by tryptophan via the kynurenine pathway associated with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Until now no one knew that the Western style diet can negatively affect tryptophan metabolism even in young and healthy adults.

Dr Lim said:

“Previously, it was believed that changes to tryptophan metabolism were driven by inflammation, despite there not being conclusive clinical evidence for this.
Our study also shows that urine analysis may be a useful alternative to blood tests in collecting valuable biological information on the way our bodies process tryptophan.
This can be a big advantage in that it’s not only simpler—it’s less invasive, which is important for vulnerable people such as children and older adults.”

It is not yet clear if targeting KA would be a treatment option for depression in the future, in a similar way that antidepressants are supposed to boost serotonin levels.

Dr Heather Francis, the study’s first author, said:

“There is, however, a clear relationship between an increased risk of depression and eating an unhealthy diet that is high in fat, sugar and processed foods, giving us all the incentive to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.”

Like most things, the right amount of kynurenine is the key for the body since elevated levels of KA have been associated with schizophrenia and low serum levels of KA connected to depression.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition (Francis et al., 2022).

Taking These Supplements Can Boost The Immune System

A daily supplement that reduces illness duration and makes the symptoms less severe.

A multi-vitamin with mineral supplements can improve immune function, making illnesses less severe and easing symptoms, especially in those who are 55 or older.

Taking a daily multi-vitamin and minerals supplement high in vitamin C for three months will lower the odds of catching a cold, respiratory infection, and pneumonia and also will reduce the length of illness and symptoms.

Micronutrients such as Vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc are particularly essential for the immune system to function properly.

Scientist at OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute enrolled a group of healthy adults aged 55 and older to assess the effects of vitamin and mineral supplements on immune function.

For 12 weeks, the multi-vitamin and mineral supplement (MVM) group received a daily formulated MVM supplement (Redoxon® VI, Singapore) while the other group was on placebo supplementation.

The group who were on the MVM Redoxon supplement exhibited improved immune function and nearly a 70 percent reduction in the number of days sick.

In other words, the length of illness on average reduced from more than six days in the placebo group to less than three days in the MVM Redoxon group.

Moreover, the severity of illness among those in the placebo group was four times higher than those on the MVM supplement.

Professor Adrian Gombart, study co-author, said:

“The observed illness differences were striking.
While the study was limited to self-reported illness data and we did not design the study to answer this question, the observed differences suggest that additional larger studies designed for these outcomes are warranted — and, frankly, overdue.”

MVM Redoxon contains 700 mcg vitamin A, 45 mg vitamin E, 6.6 mg vitamin B6, 400 mcg folate, 9.6 mcg vitamin B12, 1,000 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin D, 5 mg iron, 110 mg selenium, 0.9 mg copper, and 10 mg zinc.

Professor Gombart said:

“Supplementation was associated with significantly increased circulating levels of zinc and vitamin C, and with illness symptoms that were less severe and shorter lasting.
This supports findings that stretch back decades, even to the days of Linus Pauling’s work with vitamin C.
Our results suggest more and better designed research studies are needed to explore the positive role multivitamin and mineral supplementation might play in bolstering the immune system of older adults.”

Vitamin and mineral deficiency is more common as we get older and so this will lead to age-related immune system dysfunction.

Over one-third of older adults in Europe, the United States, and Canada are lacking one or more micronutrient.

Professor Gombart said:

“That likely contributes to a decline in the immune system, most often characterized by increased levels of inflammation, reduced innate immune function and reduced T-cell function.
Since multiple nutrients support immune function, older adults often benefit from multivitamin and mineral supplements.
These are readily available, inexpensive and generally regarded as safe.”

The study was published in the journal of Nutrients (Fantacone et al., 2020).

The Best Diet For Good Mental Health

The ten best foods to feel more positive about life and have a lower risk of depression.

Eating more raw fruits and vegetables is linked to better mental health, research finds.

Those who eat more raw fruit and vegetables tend to feel more positive about life and have a lower risk of depression.

The maximum benefit to mental health came from just over 6 servings of raw fruits and vegetables per day, the study found.

Cooked and canned vegetables do not provide the same boost to mental health.

Apples and raw bananas were particularly effective for mental health.

Other studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is good for mental health.

One study has found that the Mediterranean diet could reduce the risk of depression by up to one third.

Here are ten typical ingredients of the Mediterranean diet:

Green leafy vegetables,
other vegetables,
nuts,
berries,
beans,
whole grains,
fish,
poultry,
olive oil,
and wine.

Switching to a healthy diet including fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil could reduce depression symptoms in just three weeks, one study has found.

Even relatively small changes to diet have been shown to have a positive effect on mental health.

For the current study, though, over 400 people in the US and New Zealand were surveyed about what they ate and their mental health.

The results suggest that the ten best foods for mental health are:

carrots,
bananas,
apples,
dark leafy greens such as spinach,
grapefruit,
lettuce,
citrus fruits,
fresh berries,
cucumber,
and kiwifruit.

Dr Connor, study co-author, explained:

“Controlling for the covariates, raw fruit and vegetable consumption predicted lower levels of mental illness symptomology, such as depression, and improved levels of psychological wellbeing including positive mood, life satisfaction and flourishing.
These mental health benefits were significantly reduced for cooked, canned, and processed fruits and vegetables.
This research is increasingly vital as lifestyle approaches such as dietary change may provide an accessible, safe, and adjuvant approach to improving mental health.”

Best diet changes with age

There is some evidence that the best diet for mental health changes with age.

The mood of young people — aged between 18 and 30 — benefits from neurotransmitter precursors provided by foods like meat.

However, mature adults are in a better mood if they eat foods that boost their antioxidant levels, such as fruit.

Foods to avoid

Whatever age you are, though, one food to avoid for good mental health is sugar.

Research finds that a high sugar intake is linked to anxiety and depression.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology (Brookie et al., 2018).

The Signs And Symptoms Of A Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Anxiety, depression, aggressiveness and breaking rules can be signs of these mineral and vitamin deficiencies in boys.

Mental signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency include depression, memory issues, confusion and irritability.

Now, a study finds that children with behavioural problems might be deficient in important nutrients such as iron and B12.

A study has found that boys with low blood levels of vitamin B12 and iron could exhibit some problematic behaviours such as depression, anxiety, breaking rules, and being aggressive.

Professor Eduardo Villamor, the study’s co-author, said:

“Iron deficiency is still highly prevalent in many regions worldwide.
There is less data on vitamin B12 deficiency but available evidence also suggests it may be a substantial public health problem in certain populations.”

For this study, 3,202 children aged 5 to 12 years old from primary public schools were randomly selected and followed-up for 6 years.

The research team wanted to see if micronutrient deficiency in children would lead to mental health problems.

Several health issues were linked to poor diets lacking micronutrients such as iron and vitamin B12.

They found that internalizing and externalizing behaviours in male adolescents were strongly related to anaemia (iron deficiency), and low levels of vitamin B12 through their childhood.

Professor Villamor said:

“Interventions to curb these deficiencies must be informed by knowledge of their causes in each specific setting.
In our study population, for example, we showed before that a school snack program increased vitamin B12 blood levels after three months.”

Past studies have found that iron deficiency in infants would reduce the alertness, self-soothing, and self-regulation such as ability to focus, control body function, and manage emotions.

These issues possibly develop further during childhood and could lead to behavioural problems in teenagers and poor mental health in their adulthood.

The study didn’t find any link between vitamin B12 and iron deficiency among girls and behaviour problems.

This may be related to differences in physical and psychological changes at puberty between girls and boys.

Professor Villamor said:

“We don’t have a clear explanation of why there were sex differences, although we knew it was important to study boys and girls separately because they may differ in the timing of development.
Studies in rats have found that some micronutrient deficiencies affect male and female brains differently but it is not clear exactly why this may also be the case in humans.”

Physical rather than mental symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency include headaches, fatigue, breathlessness and pale skin.

Taking a B12 supplement is one of the easiest ways to combat this problem.

Adults need around 1.5 mcg per day.

The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition (Robinson et al., 2018).

A Tiring Sign Of Vitamin D Deficiency

A walk of as little 20 minutes in the daylight is enough to provide sufficient levels of vitamin D.

Sleepiness and fatigue during the day can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, studies find.

People with lower vitamin D levels can experience less sleep overall and more waking during the night.

People experience worse sleep, the lower their vitamin D levels are.

Vitamin D may affect critical neurotransmitters and inflammatory markers.

Fatigue may also be due to problems in the body’s mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the ‘power stations’ within each cell in our body.

Without vitamin D, the mitochondria cannot work efficiently.

Around half the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D.

Foods that are rich in vitamin D include oily fish and eggs, but most people get their vitamin D from the action of sunlight on the skin.

Other signs of vitamin D deficiency include low mood, muscle fatigue, difficulties with learning and memory, gut problems and headaches.

One study of global populations has found that vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem in many areas.

Vitamin D is vital for bone mineralisation, so deficiency can lead to a greater risk of fracture.

Some of the main risk factors for having low vitamin D levels are:

being female,
poor dietary habits,
being older,
living in northerly areas,
and less exposure to sunlight.

Urbanisation means many people live and work indoors.

A walk of as little 20 minutes in the daylight is enough to provide sufficient levels of vitamin D.

The conclusions come from a review of the research carried out across six continents.

The results showed the risk of vitamin D deficiency is highest in the Middle East and South Asia, largely because of traditional clothing that blocks the action of sunlight on the skin.

The study was published in the journal Osteoporosis International (Mithal et al., 2009).

A Mental Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Low levels of vitamin B12 can even contribute to brain shrinkage.

Having trouble with basic thinking skills can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, research finds.

Children with low levels of vitamin B12 had poorer cognitive abilities and difficulty interpreting the emotions of others.

They found it harder to:

sustain attention,
solve puzzles,
learn words and names,
and guess what others are thinking.

Low levels of vitamin B12 can even contribute to brain shrinkage, other studies have suggested.

The conclusions come from 500 children in Nepal who were followed from birth for 5 years.

The results showed that infants with poor vitamin B12 status had worse thinking skills at 5-years-old.

Low levels of vitamin B12 may impair brain development at an early age.

Ms Ingrid Kvestad, the study’s first author, said:

“Our results clearly demonstrate associations between early vitamin B12 status and various measures on development and cognitive functioning, as for example the ability to interpret complex geometrical figures, and the ability to recognize other children’s emotions.”

Good sources of vitamin B12 include fish, poultry, eggs and low-fat milk.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

People who may have difficulty getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians, older people and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Ms Kvestad said:

“Most of the Nepalese children participating in the study did not have severely low levels of vitamin B12, but their levels were suboptimal, below the recommendations for best possible growth and development.
It’s like a hidden deficiency of the vitamin in these children’s bodies, making their cells work rigorously to signalize imminent danger.
Our study is one contribution in the big puzzle to understand the implications low B12 levels might have on small children’s cognitive development.”

The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Kvestad et al., 2017).

The Healthiest Type Of Fibre To Add To Your Diet

What type of dietary fibre works best and what fibre supplements would be best for you to choose?

Fermentable fibre, also known as prebiotics, are an important part of a healthy diet and essential for beneficial bacteria in the gut.

The vast number of prebiotics or dietary fibres sold on the market contain health claims that are not reviewed or approved by the FDA, so consumers haven’t got any clue which fibre supplements work best.

Researchers from Duke University found that those with a low-fibre diet benefited most when fed any of three main fermentable fibre supplements (inulin, dextrin, and galactooligosaccharides).

Also, prebiotics that stimulate the production of butyrate, a type of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), seem to be the most effective ones.

Dr Lawrence David, the study’s first author, said:

“The people who responded the best had been eating the least fiber to start with.”

Fibres are indigestible carbohydrates that are essential to beneficial bacteria in the gut.

These bacteria are important for weight loss, help control blood sugar levels, regulate immune function, fight inflammation, and also improve bowel movements.

Dr Zack Holmes, study co-author, said:

“We’ve evolved to depend on nutrients that our microbiomes produce for us.
But with recent shifts in diet away from fiber-rich foods, we’ve stopped feeding our microbes what they need.”

Americans on average consume less than 40 percent of the recommended daily fibre intake, a main reason behind many health problems such as colon cancer, digestive disorders, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

A high-fibre diet will make the gut microbiota produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that provide various health benefits such as weight loss and the prevention of bowel cancer.

Butyrate is particularly important as it is the main fuel for the intestinal cells, and reduces inflammation by playing an important role in the protection of the gut lining from pathogens and toxins (leaky gut).

Fermentable fibres such as inulin, beta-glucans, pectins, oligofructose, dextrin, and guar gum vary in SCFA production from one person to another.

Therefore, Dr David and his team wanted to know if individuals need to personalise prebiotic supplementation.

So, they tested a variety of fibre supplements from the market.

Dr David said:

“We didn’t see a lot of difference between the fiber supplements we tested.
Rather, they looked interchangeable.
Regardless of which of the test supplements you pick, it seems your microbiome will thank you with more butyrate.”

The team tested the prebiotics: inulin, dextrin (Benefiber), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) marketed as Bimuno on a group of people.

Participants who had a high fibre diet saw little change in their microbiomes, most likely due to already having optimal levels of beneficial bacteria.

But those who were deficient in fibre intake experienced the biggest improvement in butyrate production after taking any of the three prebiotics.

Mr Jeffrey Letourneau, study co-author of a second related study, said:

“If you’re a low fiber consumer, it’s probably not worth it to stress so much about which kind of fiber to add.
It’s just important that you find something that works for you in a sustainable way.”

Dr Holmes added:

“It doesn’t need to be a supplement either.
It can just be a fiber-rich food.
Folks who were already eating a lot of fiber, which comes from plants like beans, leafy greens, and citrus, already had very healthy microbiomes.”

The first study was published in Microbiome (Holmes et al., 2022) and the second study was published in The ISME Journal (Letourneau et al., 2022).

This High-Fat Diet Protects Against Dementia, Research Suggests

Foods included in the diet include seafood, low-carb vegetables, cheese, eggs, coconut oil and olive oil.

The ketogenic diet may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, research suggests.

The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet.

Foods included in the ketogenic diet include seafood, low-carb vegetables, cheese, eggs, coconut oil and olive oil.

The new study on mice showed that the ketogenic diet improved neurovascular function.

Dr Ai-Ling Lin, study co-author, explained:

“Neurovascular integrity, including cerebral blood flow and blood-brain barrier function, plays a major role in cognitive ability.
Recent science has suggested that neurovascular integrity might be regulated by the bacteria in the gut, so we set out to see whether the Ketogenic Diet enhanced brain vascular function and reduced neurodegeneration risk in young healthy mice.”

The diet has previously been linked to improvements in epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and autism.

Dr Lin said:

“While diet modifications, the Ketogenic Diet in particular, has demonstrated effectiveness in treating certain diseases, we chose to test healthy young mice using diet as a potential preventative measure.
We were delighted to see that we might indeed be able to use diet to mitigate risk for Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Lee et al., 2018).

The Supplements Taken By 50% Are A Waste Of Money For Most

What vitamin or mineral supplement do we need and which should be avoided?

Over half of the U.S. population take dietary supplements including vitamins, minerals, and herbs.

In 2021, Americans alone spent 50 billion dollars on dietary supplements.

For years many thought that supplements including vitamins and minerals were important for a healthy lifestyle, but what if this is not true and supplements can’t fill the nutritional gaps in our diet?

A review of 84 studies reveals that supplements are often a waste of money and some of them can be harmful to individuals.

The result is surprising as the case for supplements seems strong since foods such as nuts, fish, wholegrains, pulses, eggs, dairy, fruits, and vegetables are rich in nutrients with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.

These nutritious foods have been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

So, the idea that supplements can mimic the effect of vitamins and minerals in foods seems convincing.

However, micronutrients such as phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, fibre in fruits and vegetables work together along with other nutrients to give the body what it needs.

Whereas these nutrients when extracted and used in isolation won’t have the same health effect as natural foods.

Dr Jeffrey Linder, the study’s senior author, said:

“Patients ask all the time, ‘What supplements should I be taking?’
They’re wasting money and focus thinking there has to be a magic set of pills that will keep them healthy when we should all be following the evidence-based practices of eating healthy and exercising.”

According to Northwestern Medicine scientists, there is not enough evidence for non-pregnant, otherwise healthy adults to take multivitamins or single or paired supplements.

In addition, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines recommend avoiding beta-carotene supplements as these may increase the odds of cancer.

They also advise against taking vitamin E as the supplement doesn’t reduce cardiovascular disease, cancer, or death from any cause.

Dr Linder said:

“The task force is not saying ‘don’t take multivitamins,’ but there’s this idea that if these were really good for you, we’d know by now.
The harm is that talking with patients about supplements during the very limited time we get to see them, we’re missing out on counseling about how to really reduce cardiovascular risks, like through exercise or smoking cessation.”

However, Dr Linder noted that dietary supplements such as vitamin D and calcium can help people with deficiency, for example, preventing bone loss in the elderly.

Or certain vitamins, such as folic acid (vitamin B₉) are vital during early pregnancy to prevent birth defects.

Dr Natalie Cameron, study co-author, said:

“Certain vitamins, such as folic acid, are essential for pregnant women to support healthy fetal development.
The most common way to meet these needs is to take a prenatal vitamin.
More data is needed to understand how specific vitamin supplementation may modify risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and cardiovascular complications during pregnancy.”

The study was published in the JAMA (Jia et al., 2022).

The Diet Linked To 40% Higher Depression Risk

Cutting these out of your diet helps reduce depression risk.

A diet of ‘inflammatory foods’ is linked to a 40 percent higher risk of depression, research concludes.

Common inflammatory foods include fast food, cake and processed meats.

These all have high levels of saturated fats, cholesterol and carbohydrate.

Fast foods and the like cause excess inflammation in the body, which is linked to depression.

An anti-inflammatory diet includes more vitamins, fibre and unsaturated fats.

The Mediterranean diet, containing tomatoes, green vegetables, olive oil and fatty fish is anti-inflammatory.

The conclusions come a review of 11 separate studies that included over 100,000 people living in the US, Australia and Europe.

Everyone reported how inflammatory their diet was, as well as any depression symptoms.

The results showed that people eating ‘pro-inflammatory’ diets had a 40 percent higher risk of developing depression or depressive symptoms.

The same was true for young and old.

Inflammation is how the body protects itself against toxins.

However, brain cells are killed when the body remains in a constant state of high alert, while fighting toxins.

Dr Steven Bradburn, study co-author, said:

“These results have tremendous clinical potential for the treatment of depression, and if it holds true, other diseases such as Alzheimer’s which also have an underlying inflammatory component.
Simply changing what we eat may be a cheaper alternative to pharmacological interventions, which often come with side-effects.
This work builds on recent advances in the field by others, including the first ever clinical trial into dietary interventions for treating depression, which have shown beneficial improvements in depressive symptoms.
It should be stressed, however, that our findings are an association, rather than causality.
Further work is needed to confirm the efficacy of modulating dietary patterns in treating depression with relation to inflammation.”

The study was published in the journal Clinical Nutrition (Tolkein et al., 2018).