Health

Non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) is accompanied by a decrease in cerebral metabolism, which reduces the consumption of glucose as a fuel source and decreases the overall accumulation of oxidative stress in neural and peripheral tissues. Enabling ...

Background and Purpose Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a worldwide health problem with high prevalence and morbidity associated with obesity, insul...

Hofer et al. show that fasting promotes the synthesis of spermidine, which stimulates eIF5A hypusination to induce autophagy and increase lifespan in various species in a conserved manner.

(1) Background: Spermidine is a biogenic polyamine that plays a crucial role in mammalian metabolism. As spermidine levels decline with age, spermidine supplementation is suggested to prevent or delay age-related diseases. However, valid ...

What Is Being Missed By Relying on Population-Based Reference Values

As family and friends gather for the festive period, the NHS is highlighting the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for in loved ones. Common early symptoms of dementia that may appear some time before an official medical diagnosis include: emotional changes such as irritability forgetfulness struggling to follow a conversation or find […]

Learning and memory are fundamental brain functions affected by dietary and environmental factors. Here, we show that increasing brain magnesium using…

Sleep problems challenge overall wellbeing. Magnesium has been implicated to benefit sleep, although the clinical evidences varied based on the magnesium source used. Magnesium L-threonate (MgT) is a promising intervention due to its brain bioavailability and effects on cognition, memory and mood. We investigated MgT supplementation on sleep quality and daily function. Patients/methods: Eighty 35-55-year-olds with self-assessed sleep problems participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm study, taking 1 g/day of MgT or placebo for 21 days. Sleep and daily behaviors were measured subjectively using standardized questionnaires including the Insomnia Severity Index, Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, and Restorative Sleep Questionnaire, and objectively using an Oura ring. The Profile of Mood States questionnaire and a daily diary were used to evaluate mood, energy and productivity, and record any safety concerns. Results: The MgT group maintained good sleep quality and daytime functioning, while placebo declined. From objective Oura ring measurements, MgT significantly (p 0.05) improved vs placebo deep sleep score, REM sleep score, light sleep time, and activity and readiness parameters activity score, activity daily movement score, readiness score, readiness activity balance, and readiness sleep balance. From subjective questionnaires, MgT significantly (p 0.05) improved vs placebo behavior upon awakening, energy and daytime productivity, grouchiness, mood and mental alertness. MgT was safe and well tolerated. Conclusions: This showed MgT improved sleep quality, especially deep/REM sleep stages, improved mood, energy, alertness, and daily activity and productivity. These are consistent with how MgT works in neuron cells and animal models, suggesting broader positive impacts on overall brain health.

Clinical studies have shown that about two-thirds of patients with chronic pain suffer from short-term memory (STM) deficits and an effective drug for treatment of the neurological disorder is lacking at present. Objective: We tested whether chronic oral application of magnesium L-threonate (MgT), which has been shown to improve memory in normal and aging animals by elevating Mg2+ in the brain, could prevent or restore the STM deficits induced by spared nerve injury (SNI), an animal model of chronic neuropathic pain. The mechanisms underlying the effect of MgT on STM deficits were also investigated. Study design: The experiments were conducted in a random and double-blind fashion in adult male rats. MgT was administrated via drinking water at a dose of 609 mg/kg/d for 2 weeks, starting either one week before SNI (preventative group) or one week after SNI (therapeutic group), and water without the drug served as control. Methods: STM was accessed with a novel object recognition test (NORT), followed by recording of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus in vivo and the measurement of the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) with Western Blot or Immunohistochemistrical staining, a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR) currents were recorded with patch clamp in CA1 neurons in acute and cultured hippocampal slices. Result: We found that chronic oral application of MgT was able to prevent and restore the deficits of STM and of LTP at CA3-CA1 synapses in the hippocampus induced by SNI. Furthermore, both preventative and therapeutic chronic oral application of MgT blocked the up-regulation of TNF-α in the hippocampus, which has been previously shown to be critical for memory deficits. SNI reduced NMDAR current and the effect was dramatically attenuated by elevating extracellular Mg2+ concentration ([Mg2+]○). In cultured hippocampal slices, chronic application of recombinant rat TNF-α (rrTNF-α) for 3 days reduced NMDAR current in a concentration-dependent manner and the effect was again blocked by elevating [Mg2+]○. Limitations: We showed that oral application of MgT inhibited the over-expression of TNF-α and rescued the dysfunction of the NMDAR, but the causal relationship between them remains elusive. Conclusions: Our data suggested that oral application of MgT was able to prevent and restore the STM deficits in an animal model of chronic neuropathic pain by reversing the dysfunction of the NMDAR, and normalization of TNF-α expression may play a role in the effect. Oral application of MgT may be a simple and potent means for handling this form of memory deficit.

Sleep problems challenge overall wellbeing. Magnesium has been implicated to benefit sleep, although the clinical evidences varied based on the magnesium source used. Magnesium L-threonate (MgT) is a promising intervention due to its brain bioavailability and effects on cognition, memory and mood. We investigated MgT supplementation on sleep quality and daily function. Patients/methods Eighty 35–55-year-olds with self-assessed sleep problems participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm study, taking 1 g/day of MgT or placebo for 21 days. Sleep and daily behaviors were measured subjectively using standardized questionnaires including the Insomnia Severity Index, Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, and Restorative Sleep Questionnaire, and objectively using an Oura ring. The Profile of Mood States questionnaire and a daily diary were used to evaluate mood, energy and productivity, and record any safety concerns. Results The MgT group maintained good sleep quality and daytime functioning, while placebo declined. From objective Oura ring measurements, MgT significantly (p 0.05) improved vs placebo deep sleep score, REM sleep score, light sleep time, and activity and readiness parameters activity score, activity daily movement score, readiness score, readiness activity balance, and readiness sleep balance. From subjective questionnaires, MgT significantly (p 0.05) improved vs placebo behavior upon awakening, energy and daytime productivity, grouchiness, mood and mental alertness. MgT was safe and well tolerated. Conclusions This showed MgT improved sleep quality, especially deep/REM sleep stages, improved mood, energy, alertness, and daily activity and productivity. These are consistent with how MgT works in neuron cells and animal models, suggesting broader positive impacts on overall brain health.

Investigators report that estradiol works as well as luteinizing hormone–releasing hormone agonists for testosterone suppression and have a much better side-effect profile.

A high omega-3, low omega-6 diet with fish oil led to a significant reduction in a biomarker for prostate cancer progression in men with prostate cancer on active surveillance.

Inhibition of cyclooxygenase 1 releases T cells from immunosuppression by platelet-derived thromboxane A2, thereby enhancing the immune response against metastasis.

Exploring a natural route to better health? Luteolin supplements are gaining traction as a promising alternative to traditional medicines.

Pain due to chronic conditions is a frequent and insufficiently addressed problem. Current drug options for pain management (either in cases of chronic inflammatory conditions or neuropathy) do not adequately treat pain. Moreover, they are ...

Dementia is a growing problem around the globe as the world's population continues to age. Multiple studies have identified potentially modifiable ris…

Like other organs, brain functions diminish with age. Furthermore, for a variety of neurological disorders—including Alzheimer’s disease—age is one of the higher-risk factors. Since in many Western countries the average age is increasing, ...

Fisetin, a natural plant compound, offers numerous benefits for individuals dealing with obesity and diabetes.

Stimmt es, dass die zusätzliche Einnahme von Arginin gut für die Durchblutung im Körper ist?

Utilising proteomic and transposon sequencing screens, Freiberg et al. identified arginine metabolism enzymes that impact tolerance to antibiotics in Staphylococcus aureus, including in animal models of skin and bone infections.

Raynaud's phenomenon is characterized by transient reduction in blood supply through the small arteries in the hands and feet. Severe Raynaud's phenomenon can cause digital necrosis. It has been hypothesized that nitric oxide may have a role in Raynaud's phenomenon. We report two cases in which oral …

Objective  To determine whether hearing loss is associated with incident all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD).Design  Prospective study of 639 individuals who underwent audiometric testing and were dementia free in 1990 to 1994. Hearing loss was defined by a pure-tone average of...

Some scientists believe that microbes might play a part in Alzheimer's disease development. There are several theories about how and why this occurs. Microbes that might be involved include certain...

Quercetin is the major polyphenolic flavonoid that belongs to the class called flavanols. It is found in many foods, such as green tea, cranberry, apple, onions, asparagus, radish leaves, buckwheat, blueberry, broccoli, and coriander. It occurs in ...

NAD+, a pivotal coenzyme central to metabolism, exhibits a characteristic decline with age. In mice, NAD+ levels can be elevated via treatment with apigenin, a natural flavonoid that inhibits the NAD+-consuming glycoprotein CD38. In animal models, ...

Hyperuricemia, the high uric acid (UA) state in blood, has been accepted as an important risk factor for gout. The liver is a main factory of UA production. In the present study, we have examined the effects of three kinds of flavonol and flavones ...

In recent years, many natural foods and herbs rich in phytochemicals have been proposed as health supplements for patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Theaflavins (TFs) are a polyphenol hydroxyl substance with the structure of diphenol ketone, ...

Theaflavins (TFs) are orange-red pigments with a benzotropolone structure, which are formed by the polymerization of catechins under oxidase-catalysed…