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6-12 prunes a day may help protect the bones

6-12 prunes a day may help protect the bones

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New research finds that the anti-inflammatory gains of prunes may possibly help shield bones in older females. Westend61/Getty Photographs
  • In the United States, close to 10 million people today more than the age of 50 have osteoporosis, with a further more 34 million at chance of the condition.
  • Health and fitness gurus are looking for risk-free, affordable treatment options with fewer adverse aspect effects than conventional drugs.
  • In a research of dietary interventions, researchers in Pennsylvania uncovered that prune usage could lessen inflammatory markers linked with bone density.

Osteoporosis is the most common bone condition. It causes the bones to reduce mass and turn out to be porous and fragile, primarily in more mature older people.

This improves the threat of fractures and long lasting effects this kind of as persistent discomfort and collapsed backbone.

Osteoporosis has an effect on every single gender, but it takes place more often amid older girls. Even more, bone fractures due to osteoporosis transpire far more regularly among postmenopausal individuals than in premenopausal men and women.

As the ovaries quit functioning all through menopause in ladies, estrogen stages minimize. This sets off an raise in irritation all through the system which can contribute to bone decline.

New exploration from the Integrative and Biomedical Physiology Application and the Departments of Dietary Sciences and Kinesiology at The Pennsylvania Condition College (Penn Condition) discusses how prune use has an effect on inflammatory markers affiliated with bone reduction.

This do the job implies that women of all ages can lower swelling by having 6 to 12 prunes a day.

Guide author Janhavi Damani, MS, a graduate university student at Penn State’s Huck Institute of the Everyday living Sciences, presented her team’s results at the Experimental Biology 2022 assembly of the American Physiological Society. The meeting took put April 2–April 5 in Philadelphia, PA.

Melissa M. Markofski, PhD is an assistant professor in the Division of Wellness and Human General performance at the University of Houston in Texas. She was not concerned in the study.

In an job interview with Health-related Information Right now, Dr. Markofski stated: “What we know is that there’s a solid website link between [prolonged] significant degrees of swelling [and] serious disorders, particularly osteoporosis.”

She also pointed out: “Inflammation is joined involving the immune procedure and bone wellness, and we know that in a condition of higher inflammation men and women [with] substantial inflammatory markers [have] an increased likelihood for acquiring osteoporosis, primarily gals.”

Prunes and polyphenols

Polyphenols are energetic plant compounds with antioxidant qualities. They support protect against or beat mobile destruction from free radicals, unstable molecules that are byproducts of metabolic procedures and that can end result in oxidative tension.

Prunes, which are rich in polyphenols, have shown their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory houses in other reports.

Damani and her workforce researched 106 gals ages 55-75 yrs with reduced bone mineral density scores, an sign of osteoporosis. The scientists aimed to examine how 12 months of prune use could have an affect on swelling levels.

A person group of these persons ate about six prunes every single working day for 12 months, and another group ate about 12 prunes each day for 12 months. A management group did not try to eat any prunes for the duration of this time.

All the members consumed calcium and vitamin D nutritional supplements as nicely, as “standard of care.”

Checking blood samples just before and immediately after the demo, the researchers noticed important reductions in inflammatory markers in the participants who ate prunes in contrast to the management team.

Direct author Damani commented:

“Our results advise that use of 6 to 12 prunes for every working day may well reduce professional-inflammatory mediators that may perhaps add to bone reduction in postmenopausal ladies. So, prunes could be a promising dietary intervention to prevent the rise in inflammatory mediators often observed as section of the growing older course of action.”

Before getting prunes in bulk, it might be practical to admit various constraints to this study.

The examine sample sizing was rather compact, and the individuals were assessed for only 12 months.

Frederick Singer, MD is a professor of endocrinology and director of the endocrine and bone disorder program at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Wellbeing Heart in Santa Monica, CA. He was not involved in this analysis.

Dr. Singer observed that, even though prunes “appear to present some outcome on anti-inflammatory factors” in this research, the investigate did not involve bone density measurements. That facts would have been extra valuable, he felt.

He also argued that a even bigger, additional lengthy-time period analyze is warranted.

Drs. Markofski and Singer questioned if a daily dose of dozen prunes is real looking or healthy for most people today. Dr. Markofski expressed concern that 12 prunes consist of about 36 grams of sugar, the similar amount of money “in a scoop of ice product.”

Yet another substantial consideration about this study is the funding. The authors accept that the California Prunes Board sponsored their do the job.

Sherry Ross, MD is an OB-GYN and women’s well being skilled at Providence Saint John’s Well being Heart in Santa Monica, CA. She was not included in this review.

Speaking with MNT, Dr. Ross was pleased that the study supports feeding on prunes to assistance lower the threat of osteoporosis. She agreed that diet plan can perform a massive purpose in this hard work:

“Osteoporosis, a silent disorder, impacts thousands and thousands of women of all ages every single yr. Estrogen, calcium, and vitamin D are section of the setting up blocks significant in holding bone tissue healthy and potent. Avoidance is the best way to stay clear of weak bones, which put you at threat for osteoporosis.”

“Whether you are in your 20’s, 30’s, or 40’s, making sure you have sufficient daily nutritional calcium is an vital phase in setting up strong bones and preventing this ailment that influences older girls. Way of life improvements together with consuming a nicely-balanced and colourful food plan prosperous in calcium, vitamin D, and typical workout helps establish healthy bones and should really be started out in puberty and adolescence.”

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The Model Alliance Announces the Fashion Workers Act, a New Pro-Labor Bill to Protect Models and Other Industry Creatives

The Model Alliance Announces the Fashion Workers Act, a New Pro-Labor Bill to Protect Models and Other Industry Creatives

At noon now, on the actions of Lincoln Center, the previous household of New York Vogue 7 days, Sara Ziff of the Model Alliance joined New York Point out Senator Brad Hoylman and the styles Karen Elson and Teddy Quinlivan, amongst other people, to announce the Manner Workers Act. The proposed laws, which is co-sponsored by Hoylman and New York Point out Assembly Member Karines Reyes, would control administration companies and present labor defense not only for designs, but also hair and make-up artists, stylists, influencers, and other powering-the-scenes creatives.

“The artistic workforce at the rear of [fashion’s] achievements is totally unprotected,” Ziff reported in her opening assertion. “This Monthly bill will near the loophole via which administration firms escape accountability and it will call for those corporations to shell out models and creatives within 45 times, provide versions and creatives with copies of contracts and agreements, and discontinue predatory tactics this kind of as secret fees, overcharging for solutions, [and] cramming 10 products in 1 apartment and charging them effectively over the sector rent.”

Types Karen Elson and Teddy Quinlivan shared stories of late payments and non-payments, and produced the circumstance for economic transparency. “It is demoralizing and humiliating to have to beg to be paid out,” Elson commenced. “Young creatives coming into the trend field don’t have the suggests, nor the support that I do. They believe they are going for walks into a coveted and rewarding field, and, certainly, normally they believe it will be fiscally rewarding, yet the severe actuality is that fashion is a very costly company to break into and the absence of fiscal transparency can power creatives into a massive sum of financial debt.”

Senator Hoylman backed Elson up: “If a supermodel like Karen Elson simply cannot get compensated on time, how do we hope the thousands of models who aren’t effectively recognized and creatives that function at the rear of the scenes to get their check and have the protections that every employee in New York Condition justifies?” he asked. In accordance to his figures, the manner business constitutes 5.5{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the New York state’s workforce, and delivers in $11 billion in wages and almost $2 billion in tax revenues each individual 12 months.

The Manner Employees Act follows on the heels of landmark laws that made California the initially state to involve hourly wages for garment personnel. Currently is the 111th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Manufacturing unit fireplace. Hoylman manufactured a relationship amongst the labor motion spawned by that tragedy in which 146 garment workers, generally young females, died, and the aims of the Trend Staff Act in 2022. “First, companies are heading to have a fiduciary responsibility to designs and creatives. 2nd, we’re likely to make positive they get compensated on time and in comprehensive. 3rd, we’re likely to prohibit unreasonably higher commissions and outrageous charges, and fourth, we’re going to generate new security from retailiations for all of these staff.”

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The green Mediterranean diet may protect health and the environment

The green Mediterranean diet may protect health and the environment

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The so-called green Mediterranean diet may benefit human health and the planet’s health. Vera Lair/Stocksy

People who eat a traditional Mediterranean diet have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. But new research suggests that a “green” Mediterranean diet — which avoids all meat and provides extra greens — may be even better for human health. If the diet catches on, the benefits for planetary health could be equally impressive.

Climate scientists believe that one of the most impactful things that people can do for the environment is to reduce their consumption of meat and dairy products.

Research notes that global production of animal-based foods — including livestock feed — accounts for 57{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of total greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, whereas production of plant-based foods accounts for only 29{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

Another study estimates that if everyone became vegan, this would reduce the amount of land worldwide that farmers need to grow food by 3.1 billion hectares or 76{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

In addition to cutting emissions from food production, say the authors, rewilding the freed-up land would remove around 8.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year for the next 100 years.

Of course, the idea that billions of people worldwide would voluntarily give up their steaks, sausages, and cheeseburgers simply to curb climate change may seem far-fetched.

But perhaps they would think twice if they knew how much it would benefit their own health.

Recent research suggests that people who eat little or no meat tend to have a lower risk of cancer, in particular colorectal cancer and prostate cancer in men.

Diets that combine a reduction in meat and dairy consumption with increased intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, bring further health benefits.

People who eat a typical Mediterranean diet, for example, have a lower overall mortality rate and a lower risk not only of cancer but also cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

A series of clinical trials now suggests that eating a “green” Mediterranean diet, or green Med diet, may provide additional benefits on top of those provided by the regular Mediterranean diet.

The diet, which adds extra plant foods rich in polyphenols and aims to avoid meat completely, is also better for the planet.

“[E]liminating meat intake — beef, pork, lamb — is by far the most important single way to reduce the carbon footprint from diet,” said Dr. Meir Stampfer, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and one of the authors of the green Med studies.

“The contribution of meat to greenhouse gas emissions is enormous compared with other foods,” he told Medical News Today.

Dr. Stampfer pointed out that the total area needed for meat production includes a lot of land for growing crops to feed livestock.

So by reducing the amount of land around the world that is devoted to producing meat, the green Med diet could play a major role in the preservation of biodiversity.

In its 2020 report “Biodiversity for Nutrition and Health”, the World Health Organization (WHO) describes a virtuous circle that links varied, plant-based diets, human health, biodiversity, and sustainability.

“The significance of pressures generated by human activity on both climate change and biodiversity loss, and their impacts on nutrition and health outcomes, cannot be overstated,” the authors conclude.

A traditional Mediterranean diet contains the following elements:

  • vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
  • sources of healthy fats, such as nuts, seeds, and olive oil
  • moderate amounts of dairy and fish
  • less red meat than a traditional western diet
  • fewer eggs
  • red wine in moderation

The diet provides an abundance of polyphenols, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and plant fiber.

Importantly, the classic Med diet also avoids refined grains, highly processed foods, and products with added sugars.

Scientists believe that, in combination, these features help lower levels of bad cholesterol, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity.

Scientists in Israel, Germany, and the United States reasoned that replacing all the remaining meat in the diet with plant-based proteins could supercharge these health effects.

Over the past few years, they have conducted three clinical trials of their green Med diet on a cohort of 294 people with abdominal obesity. Participants’ average age at the start of the trials was 51 years.

Over the course of their studies, they were all given free gym membership and advice about physical activity.

The researchers randomly assigned them to three diets:

  • Healthy dietary guidance — basic advice on how to achieve a healthy diet.
  • A calorie-restricted traditional Med diet, with advice to reduce red meat consumption, plus 28 grams (g) of walnuts each day.
  • A calorie-restricted green Med diet, which incorporated 28 g of walnuts per day, plus 3–4 cups of green tea, and 100 g of Mankai duckweed in a shake. They were asked to avoid red and processed meats completely and discouraged from consuming poultry.

People in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries eat Mankai as a “vegetable meatball.” Previous research by the same scientists showed that Mankai provides all the essential amino acids plus vitamin B12, making it an ideal meat substitute.

Cardiovascular benefits

In the first study, the researchers examined possible extra heart health benefits of eating a green Med diet.

They report that after 6 months, both Med diets led to greater weight loss and metabolic benefits than standard dietary advice.

However, the green Med diet led to a greater reduction in waist circumference and several other measures of cardiovascular risk.

For example, participants who ate this diet had improved insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure, lower levels of bad cholesterol, and less inflammation compared with those on a standard Med diet.

Fat storage in the liver

For their next study, the researchers compared the amount of fat in the liver of subjects after 18 months on the three different diets.

They discovered that people who ate the green Med diet lost more fat in their liver than those on the regular med diet.

This may reduce their risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which affects around 25{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of people worldwide and can lead to potentially fatal cirrhosis and liver failure.

Brain atrophy

Finally, the researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the effect of the three diets on loss of brain volume over 18 months.

Brain atrophy in a region called the hippocampus vital for memory formation is an early marker of cognitive decline in aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers report that in subjects 50 years or older, both med diets were associated with significantly reduced shrinkage of the hippocampus.

But the green Med diet appeared to provide the greatest protection against brain atrophy.

Polyphenols can cross the blood-brain barrier, where they help to reduce inflammation and promote the growth of new nerve cells in the hippocampus.

So it makes sense that the green Med diet — which the researchers say doubles the polyphenol content of the classic Med diet — was associated with a greater reduction in brain atrophy.

It is important to note that 88{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of participants were middle-aged males who all had obesity. The results may therefore not apply to females, younger age groups, or people without obesity.

In addition, the number of people in the studies was relatively small.

The researchers believe that a combination of reduced red and processed meat consumption and increased polyphenol intake is responsible for the health benefits of the green Med diet.

For example, levels of Mankai-derived polyphenols in participants’ urine were significantly associated with reduced shrinkage of the hippocampus.

But eating less red and processed meat was also independently and significantly associated with reduced shrinkage of this region.

Mankai is relatively expensive and not widely available in stores.

MNT asked senior author Iris Shai, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel, whether other high protein plants may be equally beneficial as meat substitutes.

“Mankai was just a test case,” she replied. She said other plant sources of protein would work just as well.

“You don’t need to get the polyphenols within the same food source as protein,” pointed out Prof. Stampfer.

“For example, numerous studies show the benefits of berries, which have little protein but lots of phenols,” he said.

However, he said further studies would be needed to evaluate the benefits of different food sources because polyphenols are a large, varied group of compounds.

“As for protein, you can easily get all the protein you need without eating any meat, or without eating any animal products,” he added.

Nutritionists told MNT that several alternatives to Mankai are widely available.

“For the protein and mineral content as well as a boost of omega-3 fatty acids, ground flax, hemp, and chia are good alternatives to include in the diet,” said Katie Cavuto, MS, RD, a nutritionist and executive chef of Saladworks.

“Quinoa is also a complete protein that is rich in polyphenols,” she added.

Unusually for a plant, Mankai also provides vitamin B12, which is often lacking in vegan diets. But Cavuto said edible algae, such as spirulina, and seaweeds, such as nori, are also good sources of this vitamin.

Dr Donald Hensrud, MD, associate professor of nutrition and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, MN, recommended vegan cereal or plant-based milks fortified with vitamin B12.

“It is sometimes easiest to take a supplement of vitamin B12,” he told MNT.

“Vitamin B12 is nontoxic, so taking too much is not an issue,” he added.

There are also alternatives to walnuts as sources of polyphenols, as detailed in the Mayo Clinic Diet plan.

“If somebody isn’t a fan of walnuts, there are plenty of other options to include polyphenols,” said Prof. Hensrud.

Each type of nut has a different nutrient profile, he pointed out. For example, almonds are relatively high in calcium, and Brazil nuts are high in magnesium.

“Therefore, if you like mixed nuts, they would provide the widest variety of nutrients,” he said.

Plant-based foods have a much smaller impact on the environment, in particular in terms of carbon emissions.

However, not all plant sources are equal. For example, huge quantities of water go into growing almonds and cashews, often in areas where water is in short supply.

It is also worth taking into account that almond farmers often use a lot of fertilizers and pesticides.

To minimize environmental harm, therefore, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, and peanuts may be better choices.

Avocados, which are popular among vegans and vegetarians, may be among the worst offenders in terms of sustainability.

Most avocados on supermarket shelves originate in Central and South America, so they have a large carbon footprint for customers in Europe, for example.

They are usually grown as a monoculture, which means little or no biodiversity, and require a lot of water.

It takes 320 liters of water to grow a single avocado.

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Could common cold viruses protect against COVID-19?

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Commuters at London King’s Cross railway station on Monday, July 19, 2021. Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images
  • Other strains of human coronaviruses, such as those that cause the common cold, circulated through the human population before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, which is responsible for COVID-19.
  • Understanding the immune response to coronaviruses that existed before the pandemic and the current SARS-CoV-2 virus may be a gateway to better understanding protective immunity to COVID-19.
  • A recent study asks whether exposure to pre-pandemic coronaviruses might protect against COVID-19.

Scientists at the University of Zurich (UZH) in Switzerland recently performed an analysis demonstrating a higher level of immunity against COVID-19 in people who had been exposed to coronaviruses circulating before the pandemic.

Prof. Alexandra Trkola, lead researcher and head of the Institute of Medical Virology at UZH, and her colleagues reported their findings in Nature Communications.

The study monitored antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 to uncover correlations with vaccine protection, disease severity, and susceptibility to infection.

The researchers also compared immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 with those against pre-pandemic coronaviruses, known as HCoVs. The four types of HCoVs that cause the common cold collectively account for around 10–15{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of adult infections and 2–6{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of all hospital admissions for lower respiratory tract infections.

“Our study shows that a strong antibody response to human coronaviruses increases the level of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. So someone who has gained immunity to harmless coronaviruses is therefore also better protected against severe SARS-CoV-2 infections,” says Prof. Trkola.

When an immune response against one coronavirus creates immune protection against a different virus, health experts call it cross-reactivity.

The researchers analyzed serum samples from 825 participants taken before the pandemic, and assessed their immune responses to four of these HCoVs.

They also analyzed 389 serum samples from individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

The scientists found that the people who contracted SARS-CoV-2 had lower levels of antibodies against HCoVs than the individuals who did not contract SARS-CoV-2.

Also, the people with higher levels of antibodies against HCoVs who did contract SARS-CoV-2 were less likely to need hospital treatment.

Rachel Roper, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology and immunology at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, told Medical News Today:

“I suspected that preexisting immunity to other human coronaviruses that cause colds would affect responses to SARS-CoV-2, but we didn’t have the data until now. These researchers show convincing evidence that preexisting immunity to other human coronaviruses gives some protection against infection with SARS-CoV-2, as well as [the] development of severe disease.”

“These data partly explain why some individuals have very mild or asymptomatic infections, while others develop severe disease,” she continued.

Dr. Roper went on to say, “In addition, the data show that having an immune response to other coronaviruses helps increase the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines.”

Beyond the antibody response, she explained how “these data also suggest that T lymphocytes may respond similarly and provide some level [of] cross-protection.”

“Of course, immune responses targeting SARS-CoV-2 that are mounted by the memory cells are far more effective than cross-reactive responses. But even though the protection isn’t absolute, cross-reactive immune responses shorten the infection and reduce its severity. And this is exactly what is also achieved through vaccination, just much, much more efficiently,” says Dr. Trkola.

B lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell — produce antibodies. They form memory cells that remember the pathogen for faster antibody production in future infections.

People’s immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is most robust soon after recovering from an infection or receiving a vaccination. This immunity occurs when antibody levels against the virus are still high. As these levels begin to drop, protection against the virus diminishes.

At this point, the process known as immunological memory can quickly reactivate the body’s production of antibodies and T cells and confer renewed immunity against the circulating viruses.

Dr. Roper went on to say, “These data give us a reason to be grateful for catching the colds caused by the other human coronaviruses!”

Whether the cross-reactivity of antibodies on antigens revealed in this study works in the opposite direction is still unknown. Does immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus also confer immunity against weaker forms of the coronavirus?

MNT spoke with Dr. David Smith, MAS, FACP, from University of California San Diego Health in La Jolla, who discussed the study’s clinical implications. He stated, “It’s hard to directly interpret these data through a clinical lens. The study does suggest that more related coronavirus immunity helps with SARS-CoV-2 immunity.”

“This gives me hope that COVID-19 vaccines should continue to help protect [against] variants that continue to develop, but, of course, clinical studies will need to assess such speculation and hope.”

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China says zero-Covid policy will protect it against Omicron variant

One of China’s top pandemic advisers has said Beijing’s strict Covid-zero strategy would prevent the new Omicron variant posing a serious threat, vindicating the tough policy at a time when the rest of the world has been trying to ease restrictions.

The comments, reported in Chinese media, came as authorities published a study by local academics warning that any attempt by China to deviate from the elimination strategy by following western herd immunity models would be “disastrous”.

“China’s current rapid response . . . strategy can cope with various types of Covid variants,” Zhang Wenhong, an infectious disease expert and director of the Huashan Hospital’s department of infectious diseases in Shanghai, said on Weibo: “I don’t think it will have a big impact on China at the moment.”

Beijing has adopted a tough Covid-zero strategy that involves subjecting vast numbers of people to compulsory government quarantine, with wide definitions of those considered a close contact.

While effective at preventing deaths, it has left the nation isolated from the rest of the world. Most other countries in the region that had also pursued elimination strategies are moving towards an acceptance of the disease as endemic.

But Zhang said the strategy had won China a “strategic opportunity” as the arrival of the new variant forced other countries to begin reimposing restrictions.

Zhong Nanshan, another top Chinese pandemic expert, said authorities would need to pay attention to visitor arrivals from Africa, but did not suggest any further government measures to tackle the new variant.

“How harmful it is, how fast it will spread, whether it will make the disease more serious . . . it is too early to draw a conclusion,” Zhong said at the weekend, according to Chinese media reports.

In the study, Chinese mathematicians warned that moving away from China’s strict Covid-zero approach to one similar to the US could lead to as many as 637,155 new cases daily, which would have a “devastating impact on the medical system of China and cause a great disaster within the nation”.

“The estimates revealed the real possibility of a colossal outbreak which would almost certainly induce an unaffordable burden to the medical system,” the authors wrote.

The warning was contained in a study by Yuan Zhang, Chong You, Xin Gai and Xiaohua Zhou published on November 24 by China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Our findings have raised a clear warning that, for the time being, we are not ready to embrace ‘open-up’ strategies resting solely on the hypothesis of herd immunity induced by vaccination advocated by certain western countries,” the authors said.

But they said they did not account for any difference in effectiveness of the vaccines between those offered in the west and China.

China’s population has mostly been inoculated with more traditional “inactivated” vaccines made by the state-owned Sinopharm and domestic pharmaceutical company, Sinovac Biotech. Some experts say there are doubts as to whether these more traditional type of vaccines offer as long-lasting protection as those based on newer mRNA technology.

Zhong said that about 76.8 per cent of the nation’s population was vaccinated, with 80 per cent targeted by year end.

Sinovac, which has developed and delivered millions of its shots worldwide, said it was working to obtain samples of the new variant to test the effectiveness of its shot against the strain. China is also developing its own homegrown mRNA shots.

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Exercise may protect cognition by reducing inflammation

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New research shows how exercise helps protect cognition in older people by reducing inflammation. Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
  • Physical activity may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause dementia and slow age-related cognitive decline.
  • Aging and neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have associations with increased inflammation in the brain.
  • Animal studies have shown that physical activity may lead to cognitive benefits by reducing the activation of microglial cells, the primary immune cells in the brain.
  • A new study involving older adults reports that reducing microglial activation may help support the protective effects of physical activity on cognitive functioning.

A decline in certain cognitive abilities, such as memory and attention, is typical with aging. However, some individuals may experience dementia, which involves a severe decrease in cognitive abilities that impair daily functioning.

Studies show that individuals who exercise regularly have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause dementia. Moreover, physical activity can slow down the progression of cognitive decline.

Scientists do not fully understand the mechanisms through which physical activity produces these cognitive benefits in humans.

A recent study led by researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) shows that reducing inflammation in the brain may mediate the cognitive benefits of physical activity.

Specifically, the researchers found that physical exercise had associations with reduced activation of microglia, the primary immune cells in the brain.

The study’s co-author, Dr. Kaitlin Casaletto, a professor at UCSF, told Medical News Today, “Many studies show that physical activity relates to better brain and cognitive health (e.g., estimates indicate that inactivity alone accounts for 13{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of Alzheimer’s disease cases worldwide). Yet, we still do not fundamentally understand the mechanisms linking physical activity to cognition in humans. Our study is the first human data showing that microglial activation (“brain inflammation”) may be a meaningful mechanism.”

The study appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The nervous system consists of two major cell types: neurons and glial cells. Neurons are primarily involved in transmitting electrical and chemical signals, whereas glial cells protect and support neurons. More recently, scientists have discovered that glial cells can modulate signal transmission between neurons.

Animal studies suggest that the glial cells in the brain may mediate the beneficial effects of physical activity on cognitive function. Specifically, physical activity is known to alter the activity of microglia, a sub-type of glial cells.

Microglia are the brain’s immune cells and become activated in response to an infection or neuron damage.

Activation of microglia can benefit the immune system as it mounts an inflammatory response against an infection. But an abnormal increase in the activation of microglia can damage neurons.

Chronic low-grade inflammation in the brain is a characteristic of aging and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, studies show that these conditions involve an abnormal increase in the number of activated microglia in the brain.

Scientists know that physical exercise in animals reduces the activation of microglia and other brain markers of inflammation.

Microglia can also modulate the structure and function of synapses, which are specialized contact sites through which neurons communicate with each other. Microglia play an important role in the formation and elimination of synapses.

Moreover, they can modulate the strength of these synapses, thus influencing signal transmission between neurons.

Studies in animals show that the cognitive benefits of physical activity have associations with improvements in synaptic health or integrity. Furthermore, these studies suggest that microglia may mediate the effects of physical activity on synaptic integrity and cognitive function.

The present study investigated the relationship between physical activity and microglial activation in older adults. Given the association between physical activity and improvements in cognitive function and synaptic health, the study estimated the extent to which changes in microglial activity may support these effects of physical activity.

The study found that, as in animals, physical activity had associations with reduced microglial activation in older adults. Moreover, the study’s results suggest that reduced microglial activation could be one of the brain pathways through which physical activity protects individuals from cognitive decline, especially in Alzheimer’s disease.

The present study consisted of 167 deceased individuals enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP). The Rush MAP is a longitudinal study that aims to identify risk factors associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Rush MAP includes older adults without dementia at enrollment and involves annual assessments for dementia risk factors. The participants in the project had agreed to donate their brains and other organs for post-mortem analysis.

The present study consisted of individuals with an average age of 87 years at the time of the first physical activity test and 90 years at their death.

The researchers assessed daily physical activity using a wearable sensor called actigraph. Actigraphy provides an objective measure of physical activity by continuously tracking periods of motor activity and rest over multiple days.

In the current study, the researchers conducted actigraphy assessments continuously for up to 10 days. They also conducted yearly tests to assess cognitive function and the ability of the participants to perform various motor tasks.

After the participants’ death, the researchers analyzed the brain tissue to determine the number of activated microglia in four brain regions. They also assessed the levels of proteins associated with synaptic health and brain markers for Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, stroke (infarcts), and other conditions.

The researchers found that higher physical activity levels measured using actigraphy had associations with a lower proportion of activated microglia when they considered all four brain regions together.

Factors such as limited motor function and cognitive impairment could potentially restrict the ability of the participants to engage in physical activity.

Consequently, the researchers adjusted their analysis for age, sex, motor, and cognitive function. They found that the association between the proportion of activated microglia and physical activity was independent of these variables.

The researchers then examined this association in individual brain regions. They found that the association between higher physical activity levels and reduced microglial activation reached statistical significance only in two brain regions — the ventromedial caudate and the inferior temporal gyrus.

Furthermore, the relationship between physical activity and reduced microglial activation was stronger in individuals with higher levels of brain pathologies in these two brain regions.

The brain pathologies found in the ventromedial caudate and inferior temporal gyrus consisted of microinfarcts (or mini-stroke) and Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies, respectively.

In other words, individuals with higher levels of brain pathologies who regularly engaged in physical activity showed lower microglial activation than their counterparts with similar brain pathology levels but lower physical activity levels.

These data suggest that the effects of physical activity on microglial activation were specific to certain brain regions. These results are consistent with data showing that microinfarcts and brain pathologies associated with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be more common in the two brain regions.

The researchers then examined the association between microglial activation and clinically meaningful markers for dementia, namely cognition and the integrity of the synapses.

Microglial activation in the inferior temporal gyrus, but not the ventromedial caudate, had associations with a decline in cognitive functioning and lower levels of synaptic health markers.

Next, the researchers examined the extent to which reduced microglial activation associated with physical activity could improve cognition and the integrity of synapses.

Using a statistical method called mediation analysis, the researchers estimated that the decrease in the proportion of activated microglial in the inferior temporal gyrus contributed to over 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity on cognition and synaptic markers.

Significantly, changes in microglial activation in the inferior temporal gyrus in individuals with higher levels of Alzheimer’s disease-related brain pathologies mediated more than 40{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity on cognition and synaptic health.

In contrast, in individuals with lower Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies, changes in microglial activity contributed to only 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity.

Noting the significance of these findings, Dr. Tristan Qingyun Li said:

”This current work by Casaletto et al. is uniquely significant in that it provides the first evidence in humans to show that changes in microglial activation may be the mechanism bridging the beneficial effects of physical activity and healthier brain function. Furthermore, it points to a specific brain region, namely inferior temporal gyrus, that might be the most relevant for future microglia-based interventions.”

Dr. Li is a professor at the Washington University School of Medicine and was not involved in the study.

One of the study’s strengths included the use of actigraphy, which provides an objective assessment of physical activity levels. This is in contrast to other studies that often estimate physical activity levels using self-reports, which are prone to biases and inaccuracies.

This is the first human study to show that physical activity may improve cognitive functioning by reducing microglial activation.

Dr. Casaletto noted that the study had a few limitations. She said, “A major limitation of this work is the observational design. We cannot determine the directionality of effects, and it is likely that at least some of the relationship between physical activity and brain inflammation is bidirectional (i.e., brain inflammation leading to reductions in physical activity).”

Dr. Casaletto said that her research group intends to address this shortcoming in subsequent studies. She said, “We have a physical activity intervention study ongoing in which we hope to capture complementary markers of in-vivo inflammatory markers to help support causality of effects.”

Among other limitations, Dr. Casaletto noted, “We captured physical activity and cognition in life but brain inflammation and pathology at death. These are likely dynamic processes, and understanding the temporal link between lifestyle behaviors and biological changes is needed.”

Lastly, Dr. Casaletto noted that the study participants were primarily white and from Northeastern Illinois. Thus, the researchers do not know whether they can generalize the findings to a diverse population.