Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prolonged stress response to a traumatic event that can impair a person’s ability to function in everyday life. It is associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain and with dysregulation of neurotransmitters (specifically, low levels of serotonin and high levels of norepinephrine). Compounds that increase serotoninContinueContinue reading “Blueberries balance neurotransmitters”
Tag Archives: diet
A mitochondrial gene product regulates metabolism
Overconsumption of fat can lead to obesity and to insulin resistance, a condition that can also develop with age and often precedes diabetes. Investigators at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles) and University of California Los Angeles recently reported that the effects of a high-fat diet could be ameliorated by treatment with a newlyContinueContinue reading “A mitochondrial gene product regulates metabolism”
Pinpointing the neurons that signal hunger in mice
Organisms must feed in order to meet their nutritional requirements. In humans, dysfunctional feeding behavior can take the form of destructive eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, overeating and addiction. Feeding behavior comprises discrete elements that include motivation (or hunger) and consumption. Understanding the neurological pathways that underlie these elements could provide mechanistic insight into theContinueContinue reading “Pinpointing the neurons that signal hunger in mice”
Round-the-clock eating influences metabolism
New research directed by Satchidananda Panda (Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA) shows that limiting food intake to a period of 9–12 hours instead of allowing round-the-clock consumption prevented and even reversed metabolic diseases in mice. Lab Anim. (NY) 44, 5 (2015). view full text (login required)
A bitter pill for artificial sweeteners
Recent findings about the effects that calorie-free sweeteners can have on metabolism may leave a bad taste in the mouths of some consumers. Eran Segal and Eran Elinav (Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel) found that artificial sweeteners can induce glucose intolerance by altering intestinal microbial communities. The conclusion is based on results from multipleContinueContinue reading “A bitter pill for artificial sweeteners”
Beer boosts brainpower—but only in the young
Flavonoids are compounds found in many plants whose nutritional benefits and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have been widely studied. The hops used to make beer contain a flavonoid called xanthohumol, which can help to control body weight and blood sugar in a rat model of obesity. New findings from researchers at Oregon State University (Corvallis)ContinueContinue reading “Beer boosts brainpower—but only in the young”
How an acquired trait can be inherited
Starvation can induce epigenetic changes in famished individuals and can affect the health of their progeny, but it is not known whether or how acquired epigenetic changes are transmitted to future generations. Oded Rechavi and Oliver Hobert (Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY) studied the epigenetics associated with starvation in Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms. LabContinueContinue reading “How an acquired trait can be inherited”
Dual role of cannabinoid receptors in feeding behavior
Activation of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors is known to increase food intake, but the neuronal mechanisms underlying this relationship are not well understood. The receptors are expressed in many brain regions that control food intake, where they govern both excitatory (GABAergic) and inhibitory (glutamatergic) neurotransmission, in turn possibly suppressing or promoting feeding behavior, respectively.ContinueContinue reading “Dual role of cannabinoid receptors in feeding behavior”
Fisetin protects cognitive function in Alzheimer’s
Fisetin is a compound found in food plants that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can improve memory and protect neurons from the effects of aging. Pamela Maher (Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA) and her colleagues surmised that many of these attributes could potentially be useful in treating Alzheimer’s disease, the mostContinueContinue reading “Fisetin protects cognitive function in Alzheimer’s”
EETs encourage growth
Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are lipid mediators that facilitate the growth of new blood vessels. Such angiogenic factors are involved in responses to tissue injury and are required for normal organ and tissue regeneration, but a specific role for EETs in regeneration has not been established. To explore this possibility, Dipak Panigrahy (Harvard Medical School, Boston,ContinueContinue reading “EETs encourage growth”
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