Beet juice boosts muscle power

Beet juice boosts muscle power in heart patients

Scientists have evidence that Popeye was right: spinach makes you stronger. But it's the high nitrate content in the leafy greens,  not the iron,  that creates the effect. Building on a growing body of work that suggests dietary nitrate improves muscle performance in many elite athletes, researchers found that drinking concentrated beet juice, also high in nitrates, increases muscle power in patients with heart failure.

Washington University School of Medicine study

Vitamin D3 supplements could increase muscle power and boost athletic performance

Vitamin D3 supplements could increase muscle power and boost athletic performance

The following conclusions were given in the study;

Vitamin D 3 have potential ergogenic effects on the human metabolic system and lead to multiple physiological enhancements. These dosages could increase aerobic capacity, muscle growth, force and power production, and a decreased recovery time from exercise. 

These dosages could also improve bone density. However, both deficiency (12.5 to 50 nmol/L) and high levels of vitamin D (>125 nmol/L) can have negative side effects, with the potential for an increased mortality. Thus, maintenance of optimal serum levels between 75 to 100 nmol/L and ensuring adequate amounts of other essential nutrients including vitamin K are consumed, is key to health and performance.

 Coaches, medical practitioners, and athletic personnel should recommend their patients and athletes to have their plasma 25(OH)D measured, in order to determine if supplementation is needed. Based on the research presented on recovery, force and power production, 4000-5000 IU/day of vitamin D 3 in conjunction with a mixture of 50 mcg/day to 1000 mcg/day of vitamin K 1 and K 2 seems to be a safe dose and has the potential to aid athletic performance. 

Lastly, no study in the athletic population has increased serum 25(OH)D levels past 100 nmol/L, (the optimal range for skeletal muscle function) using doses of 1000 to 5000 IU/day. Thus, future studies should test the physiological effects of higher dosages (5000 IU to 10,000 IU/day or more) of vitamin D 3 in combination with varying dosages of vitamin K 1 and vitamin K 2 in the athletic population to determine optimal dosages needed to maximize performance.

Plausible ergogenic effects of vitamin D on athletic performance and recovery 

Dylan T. Dahlquist², Brad P. Dieter³ and Michael S. Koehle^1*journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2015, 12:33 doi:10.1186/s12970-015-0093-8

chemicals from Green tomato and apples can increase aging muscles mass and strength

As we grow older, we lose strength and muscle mass. However, the cause of age-related muscle weakness and atrophy has remained a mystery.

Scientists at the University of Iowa have discovered the first example of a protein that causes muscle weakness and loss during aging. The protein, ATF4, is a transcription factor that alters gene expression in skeletal muscle, causing reduction of muscle protein synthesis, strength, and mass. The UI study also identifies two natural compounds, one found in apples and one found in green tomatoes, which reduce ATF4 activity in aged skeletal muscle. The findings, which were published online Sept. 3 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, could lead to new therapies for age-related muscle weakness and atrophy.

"Many of us know from our own experiences that muscle weakness and atrophy are big problems as we become older," says Christopher Adams, MD, PhD, UI professor of internal medicine and senior study author. "These problems have a major impact on our quality of life and health."

Previously, Adams and his team had identified ursolic acid, which is found in apple peel, and tomatidine, which comes from green tomatoes, as small molecules that can prevent acute muscle wasting caused by starvation and inactivity. Those studies set the stage for testing whether ursolic acid and tomatidine might be effective in blocking the largest cause of muscle weakness and atrophy: aging.

In their latest study, Adams' team found that ursolic acid and tomatidine dramatically reduce age-related muscle weakness and atrophy in mice. Elderly mice with age-related muscle weakness and atrophy were fed diets lacking or containing either 0.27 percent ursolic acid, or 0.05 percent tomatidine for two months. The scientists found that both compounds increased muscle mass by 10 percent, and more importantly, increased muscle quality, or strength, by 30 percent. The sizes of these effects suggest that the compounds largely restored muscle mass and strength to young adult levels.

"Based on these results, ursolic acid and tomatidine appear to have a lot of potential as tools for dealing with muscle weakness and atrophy during aging," Adams says. "We also thought we might be able to use ursolic acid and tomatidine as tools to find a root cause of muscle weakness and atrophy during aging."

Adams' team investigated the molecular effects of ursolic acid and tomatidine in aged skeletal muscle. They found that both compounds turn off a group of genes that are turned on by the transcription factor ATF4. This led them to engineer and study a new strain of mice that lack ATF4 in skeletal muscle. Like old muscles that were treated with ursolic acid and tomatidine, old muscles lacking ATF4 were resistant to the effects of aging.

"By reducing ATF4 activity, ursolic acid and tomatidine allow skeletal muscle to recover from effects of aging," says Adams, who also is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at the UI and a staff physician with the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The UI study was done in collaboration with Emmyon, Inc., a UI-based biotechnology company founded by Adams, that is now working to translate ursolic acid and tomatidine into foods, supplements, and pharmaceuticals that can help preserve or recover strength and muscle mass as people grow older.

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Iowa. The original item was written by Jennifer Brown. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

High protein foods boost cardiovascular health, as much as quitting smoking or getting exercise

Eating foods rich in amino acids could be as good for your heart as stopping smoking or getting more exercise -- according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

A new study published today reveals that people who eat high levels of certain amino acids found in meat and plant-based protein have lower blood pressure and arterial stiffness.

And the magnitude of the association is similar to those previously reported for lifestyle risk factors including salt intake, physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking.

Researchers investigated the effect of seven amino acids on cardiovascular health among almost 2,000 women with a healthy BMI. Data came from TwinsUK -- the biggest UK adult twin registry of 12,000 twins which is used to study the genetic and environmental causes of age related disease.

They studied their diet and compared it to clinical measures of blood pressure and blood vessel thickness and stiffness.

They found strong evidence that those who consumed the highest amounts of amino acids had lower measures of blood pressure and arterial stiffness.

But they found that the food source was important -- with a higher intake of amino acids from plant-based sources associated with lower blood pressure, and a higher intake from animal sources associated with lower levels of arterial stiffness.

Lead researcher Dr Amy Jennings, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: "This research shows a protective effect of several amino acids on cardiovascular health.

"Increasing intake from protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, dairy produce, beans, lentils, broccoli and spinach could be an important and readily achievable way to reduce people's risk of cardiovascular disease.

"Results from previous studies have provided evidence that increased dietary protein may be associated with lower blood pressure. We wanted to know whether protein from animal sources or plant-based sources was more beneficial -- so we drilled down and looked at the different amino acids found in both meat and vegetables.

"We studied seven amino acids -- arginine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, leucine, and tyrosine. Glutamic acid, leucine, and tyrosine are found in animal sources, and a higher intake was associated with lower levels of arterial stiffness.

"All seven amino acids, and particularly those from plant-based sources, were associated with lower blood pressure.

"The really surprising thing that we found is that amino acid intake has as much of an effect on blood pressure as established lifestyle risk factors such as salt intake, physical activity and alcohol consumption. For arterial stiffness, the association was similar to the magnitude of change previously associated with not smoking.

High blood pressure is one of the most potent risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease. A reduction in blood pressure leads to a reduction in mortality caused by stroke or coronary heart disease -- so changing your diet to include more meat, fish, dairy produce and pulses could help both prevent and treat the condition.

"Beneficial daily amounts equate to a 75g portion of steak, a 100g salmon fillet or a 500ml glass of skimmed milk," she added.

Prof Tim Spector from the department of Twin Research at King's college London said: "The finding that eating certain meat and plant proteins are linked to healthier blood pressure is an exciting finding. We need to understand the mechanism to see if it is direct or via our gut microbes."

Story Source

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of East Anglia. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference

A. Jennings, A. MacGregor, A. Welch, P. Chowienczyk, T. Spector, A. Cassidy. Amino Acid Intake Is Inversely Associated with Arterial Stiffness and Central Blood Pressure in Women. Journal of Nutrition, 2015; DOI: 10.3945/%u200Bjn.115.214700

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increase in MRSA infection

Recent study finds low vitamin D status is associated with MRSA infection

A recent study published by the journal Springer found that vitamin D deficiency is independently associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterial infection that typically occurs in hospitals or health care settings. Infections range in severity from only affecting the skin or soft tissue to life threatening infections of the internal organs. MRSA is resistant to several strains of antibiotics, making it difficult to treat.

In recent years, vitamin D has gained attention for its pathological processes in a number of infections. Past research has determined vitamin D increases the production of antimicrobial peptides, the body’s naturally occurring antibiotics. Despite these findings, few studies have been conducted to investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency and MRSA infections.

In the current study, researchers aimed to determine if vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with MRSA infections. A total of 6,405 patients who had their vitamin D levels tested at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (AVAMC) between January 2007 and August 2010 were included in the study. The patient’s vitamin D levels were cross referenced with a prospectively generated database of MRSA infections from October 2005 through December 2010.

Was vitamin D deficiency associated with the incidence of MRSA infections? Here is what the researchers found:

A total of 6.3% of patients experienced MRSA infections, ranging from 1 to 5 times, during the study duration.

* Vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with MRSA infected patients (p < 0.0001).

* The mean vitamin D levels of MRSA infected individuals was 21.1 ng/mL (52.75 nmol/L) compared to 24 ng/mL (60 nmol/L) in non-MRSA patients (p < 0.001)

* Those who experienced a MRSA infection within 150 days of their initial vitamin D testing had a mean vitamin D status of 19.6 ng/ml (49 nmol/L). This was considered to be significantly lower than the vitamin D status of non-MRSA infected patients (p = 0.0025).

* In a subgroup analysis of MRSA infected patients who experienced an infection within 150 days of their vitamin D testing, vitamin D deficiency ( < 20ng/ml; 50nmol/L) was determined as an independent risk factor for infection (OR: 2.25).

The researchers concluded:

“Our findings suggest that an independent association exists between vitamin D deficiency and MRSA infection in this cohort of patients.”

The researchers call for interventional studies in order to help determine if a causal relationship exists between vitamin D status and MRSA infections.

Sources:

Thomason, J. et al. Association between vitamin D deficiency and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. Springer, 2015.

Vitamin D council

Sun light reduces blood pressure, improves mood and cardiovascular health plus suppresses multiple sclerosis symptoms.

The health benefits of sunlight are not just vitamin D, but those related to the release of nitric oxide, and the production of beta-endorphin,.

In addition to the benefits of vitamin D, several human skin diseases, like psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis and localized scleroderma, can be treated with solar radiation (heliotherapy) or artificial UV radiation (phototherapy). UV exposure can suppress the clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis independently of vitamin D synthesis. Furthermore, UV generates nitric oxide (NO), which may reduce blood pressure and generally improve cardiovascular health. UVA-induced NO may also have antimicrobial effects and furthermore, act as a neurotransmitter. UV exposure may also improve mood through the release of endorphins, regulation of circadian rhythms which are all important components of life-long health and well-being  (Asta Juzenienea, Johan Moanab. Beneficial effects of UV radiation other than via vitamin D production,  Dermato-Endocrinology, Volume 4, Issue 2, 2012)

beta-endorphin

UV-exposer increases levels of a molecule called beta-endorphin, which acts similarly to morphine and heroin in the body. Endorphins circulating in the blood are able to carry feel-good messages to the brain.

This endorphin production may also explain why people are more generally drawn to sunny spots and often go to the beach on vacation.

Nitric oxide

Normal human keratinocytes secrete nitric oxide (NO) in response to UVA and UVB radiation, and In humans, NO is a powerful vasodilator with a short half-life of a few seconds in the blood. Long-known pharmaceuticals such as nitroglycerine and amyl nitrite were found to be precursors to nitric oxide more than a century after their first use in medicine.

Importantly Low levels of nitric oxide production such as synthesised by sun exposure are important in protecting organs such as the liver from ischemic damage (Nitric oxide produced by ultraviolet-irradiated keratinocytes stimulates melanogenesis.  J Clin Invest. 1997 Feb 15; 99(4): 635–642).  

Fish oil reduces both the risk of progression to psychotic disorder and psychiatric morbidity

Longer-term outcome in the prevention of psychotic disorders by the Vienna omega-3 study

G. Paul Amminger,Miriam R. Schäfer,Monika Schlögelhofer,Claudia M. Klier& Patrick D. McGorry

Nature Communications 6, Article number: 7934 doi:10.1038/ncomms8934

Received 26 November 2014 Accepted 29 June 2015 Published 11 August 2015

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential for neural development and function. As key components of brain tissue, omega-3 PUFAs play critical roles in brain development and function, and a lack of these fatty acids has been implicated in a number of mental health conditions over the lifespan, including schizophrenia. We have previously shown that a 12-week intervention with omega-3 PUFAs reduced the risk of progression to psychotic disorder in young people with subthreshold psychotic states for a 12-month period compared with placebo. We have now completed a longer-term follow-up of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, at a median of 6.7 years. Here we show that brief intervention with omega-3 PUFAs reduced both the risk of progression to psychotic disorder and psychiatric morbidity in general in this study. The majority of the individuals from the omega-3 group did not show severe functional impairment and no longer experienced attenuated psychotic symptoms at follow-up.

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150811/ncomms8934/full/ncomms8934.html