Diet

Posted on Diabetes, Diet, Exercise

Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through diet and exercise, even in individuals with a high genetic risk.

Exercise more effective than medicines to manage mental health

The University of Eastern Finland conducted a groundbreaking study which demonstrates that maintaining a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise can decrease the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, even in individuals with a high genetic risk. This means that lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, can benefit everyone, regardless of their genetic predisposition.

Type 2 diabetes is a major global issue. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports that one in eleven adults worldwide has diabetes, and 90 per cent of these cases are type 2 diabetes. Researchers have discovered over 500 genetic variants that can make individuals more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. However, lifestyle factors such as being overweight, consuming low dietary fibre, high intake of saturated fats, and lack of exercise also play a significant role in the risk of developing the disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that lifestyle changes can effectively prevent type 2 diabetes. However, it’s not yet known whether the disease can be prevented in individuals carrying multiple genetic variants that predispose them to type 2 diabetes.

The T2D-GENE Trial was a three-year lifestyle intervention that involved nearly 1,000 men aged 50 to 75 in eastern Finland. All participants had elevated fasting glucose at the beginning of the study. More than 600 men received guidance on health-promoting lifestyles and were part of the intervention group, while the rest served as a control group. The intervention group received support through group meetings and a dedicated web portal. Participants were divided into two groups based on their genetic risk of developing type 2 diabetes, determined by assessing 76 gene variants. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew to which genetic risk group the participants belonged. All participants in the intervention group received the same lifestyle guidance.

Men who took part in the lifestyle intervention showed significant improvement in their diet quality. They increased their intake of dietary fibre, improved the quality of fats they consumed, and ate more vegetables, fruits, and berries. Although the study was not specifically focused on weight loss, the participants did experience weight loss. At the beginning of the study, the participants were already very physically active and they were able to maintain their exercise habits. These changes led to a reduction in the decline of glucose metabolism. The lifestyle intervention group had a significantly lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes compared to the control group. Importantly, the positive effects of the lifestyle changes were observed across individuals, regardless of whether they had a low or high genetic risk.

“These findings encourage everyone to make lifestyle changes that promote health. Furthermore, they demonstrate the effectiveness of group- and internet-based lifestyle guidance, which saves healthcare resources,” says University Lecturer, Docent Maria Lankinen

Posted on Diet

New England Journal of Medicine suggests plant protein beats animal protein

New findings show plants contain all essential amino acids, in contrast to mistaken long-held belief
New findings show plants contain all essential amino acids, in contrast to mistaken long-held belief

Plant-based proteins have major health advantages over animal-based proteins, according to a New England Journal of Medicine letter to the editor by Neal D. Barnard, MD, published Aug. 1, 2024. New findings show that all plants contain all essential amino acids, in contrast to the common but mistaken belief that plants lack one or more amino acids. Of the 20 amino acids that are the building blocks of protein, nine cannot be produced by the human body. All are found in plant sources.

“In addition, plant-based proteins are associated with reduced mortality compared with animal proteins,” says Dr. Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit public health advocacy organization, and adjunct professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. “A major Harvard study showed that when plant-based proteins are consumed instead of protein from beef, poultry, fish, dairy products, or eggs, mortality is reduced.”

People drawing their nutrition from plant-based diets enjoy a reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Even so, people on any diet should pay attention to their need for vitamin B12 and other nutrients.

The letter was published in response to a New England Journal of Medicine article introducing a new series on nutrition. “Many people are now shifting to plant-based diets, and their nutrition improves in the process,” Dr. Barnard says. 

Posted on Diet

Short-term vegan diet associated with reductions in biological age

Veganism and Fibromyalgia
Veganism

Eating a vegan diet for eight weeks is associated with reductions in biological age estimations based on levels of DNA methylation — a type of chemical modification of DNA (known as an epigenetic modification) that alters gene expression but not DNA itself. Previous research has reported that increased DNA methylation levels are associated with ageing. The findings, which are based on a small randomised controlled trial of 21 pairs of adult identical twins, are published in BMC Medicine.

Varun Dwaraka, Christopher Gardner and colleagues investigated the molecular effects of a short-term vegan diet by instructing one half of each twin pair to eat an omnivorous diet for eight weeks — including between 170 and 225 grams of meat, one egg, and one and a half servings of dairy each day — and the other half to eat a vegan diet for the same length of time. The sample was 77 percent women (32), and participants were 40 years old on average and had an average body mass index of 26 kilograms per metres squared. For the first four weeks of the study participants ate meals that had been prepared for them and for the second four weeks participants ate meals that they had prepared themselves, after receiving nutrition classes from health educators.

The authors investigated the impacts of diet on levels of DNA methylation by analysing blood samples collected from participants at baseline, week four, and week eight of the study. They used DNA methylation levels to infer the biological ages of participants and their organ systems.

By the end of the study the authors observed decreases in estimates of biological age — known as epigenetic ageing clocks — in participants who ate a vegan diet but not among those that ate an omnivorous diet. They also observed decreases in the ages of the heart, hormone, liver, and inflammatory and metabolic systems of participants who ate a vegan, but not an omnivorous diet, for eight weeks.

Posted on Diet

Utilizing Food as Medicine: A Modern Exploration of an Old Practice

Maintaining prediabetic status after diagnosis reduces risk of death decades later

This idea may have been typical centuries ago, but today, many societies are dealing with overfeeding and undernourishment, resulting in widespread health problems. Returning to fundamental principles could be a significant part of the solution.

“We’ve all heard the saying ‘you are what you eat,’ often used to describe the negative health effects of an unhealthy diet. However, this concept can also work in a positive way. Researchers are revisiting the ancient idea of using food to treat ailments, taking advantage of modern knowledge about genetics and metabolism to reintroduce the teachings of Yinshan Zhengyao to the public.”

“Yinshan Zhengyao is the world’s first authoritative nutritional treatise, compiled by Hu Sihui, a dietitian of the Yuan dynasty. This work embodies the traditional Chinese medicinal concept of

‘homology of food and medicine,’ rich in the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation,” said, Min-Hui Li, researcher and author of the study. Yinshan Zhengyao comprises 174 medicinal plants across 55 unique plant families and 111 genera. These plants are indispensable to the culture of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Another highly important piece of this traditional Chinese text is the power of the mind and mood over the human body. Cheerfulness and tranquility are aspects that are emphasized in Yinshan Zhengyao, as the mind-body connection can be as important as the fuel taken in by an individual.

“In Yinshan Zhengyao, dietary therapies are particularly interesting for their effects on regulating digestion, respiration, endocrine, and nervous system functions, as well as protecting and regulating various organs,” said Li. The foundation of this text is to provide treatment (and prevention) for chronic diseases through the use of plants, as well as to instil the importance of quality food in society. By viewing food as medicine, greater emphasis and care are put into preparing and consuming food by “putting the food to work” not only as a source of energy but as a source of longevity.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), diseases are thought to result from imbalances in the body. For instance, the kidneys are considered to be closely linked with the reproductive system and the regulation of fluid metabolism. Recent research has revealed that, apart from their role in the urinary system, the kidneys are also involved in maintaining fluid balance and endocrine function. Treating a specific part of the body can have unexpected effects elsewhere, such as lower back pain or weakness in the limbs due to kidney issues.

“With the Yinshan Zhengyao text dating back to the early 14th century, modern medicine and therapies can be used in conjunction with the plant and diet information available from this early work on diet, health, and nutrition. Professor Min-Hui Li and his team propose integrating modern information to explore and analyze the healthcare use of medicine and parallel food sources.”

By studying modern applications of health and medicine, such as the human genome, metabolism, regulatory networks, and their relationships, researchers aim to continue enhancing human health and promoting the concept of food as medicine in a broader, more contemporary context.

Posted on Diabetes, Diet

Blood fat profiles confirm the health benefits of replacing butter with high-quality plant oils

Plant oils and butter

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Blood fat profiles confirm health benefits of replacing butter with high-quality plant oils CREDIT Chalmers University of Technology | Emma Fry

Switching from a diet high in saturated animal fats to one rich in plant-based unsaturated fats affects the fat composition in the blood, which in turn influences long-term disease risk. A recent study published in Nature Medicine, conducted by a team of researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, the German Institute of Human Nutrition, Germany and several other universities, shows that it is possible to accurately measure diet-related fat changes in the blood and directly link them to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.“Our study confirms with even more certainty the health benefits of a diet high in unsaturated plant fats such as the Mediterranean diet and could help provide targeted dietary advice to those who would benefit most from changing their eating habits”, says Clemens Wittenbecher, research leader at Chalmers University of Technology and the study’s senior author. The World Health Organisation (WHO) highlights the importance of healthy diets in preventing chronic diseases, recommending the replacement of saturated fats with plant-based unsaturated fats to reduce cardiometabolic risk.

“We summarised the effects on blood lipids with a multi-lipid score (MLS). A high MLS indicates a healthy blood fat profile, and a high intake of unsaturated plant fat and low intake of saturated animal fat can help achieving such positive MLS levels”, says Fabian Eichelmann from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke and first author of the study.These MLS results from the dietary intervention study were then statistically related to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in large observational studies that had previously been carried out. These large cohort studies followed initially healthy participants for several years. This analysis of data from both sets of studies showed that participants with a higher MLS, which indicates a beneficial dietary fat composition, had a substantially reduced risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. Switching to a healthier diet, can have the most pronounced health benefits Additionally, the study examined whether individuals with low MLS levels, indicating high saturated fat content of the diet, specifically benefited from a healthier diet. The Mediterranean diet focuses on providing more unsaturated plant fats and was used in one of the large intervention trials, known as the PREDIMED trial. Using this study, the researchers found that diabetes prevention was indeed most pronounced in individuals with low MLS levels at the start of the study.“Diet is so complex that it is often difficult to draw conclusive evidence from a single study. Our approach of using lipidomics to combine intervention studies with highly controlled diets and prospective cohort studies with long-term health tracking can overcome current limitations in nutrition research,” explains Clemens Wittenbecher.