From our skin, to our weight, to our hearts, nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining a normal balance throughout our body. This week’s Nutrition News covers three recently published studies and articles that uncover new findings in the world of nutrition.
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Review suggests blueberries could have skin health benefits
Blueberries have long been recognized for their numerous health benefits, and recent research suggests that they may play a significant role in skin health and protecting the skin from environmental stressors. The skin is highly susceptible to damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by environmental stress factors such as air pollutants, ozone, and UV radiation, which can lead to premature ageing. While the skin possesses its own defence mechanisms, chronic exposure to these stressors can overwhelm its ability to protect itself.
The study “Blueberry supplementation and skin health” has shown that blueberries contain bioactive compounds that can activate a robust skin response against environmental damage.
The review emphasises the need for further research to fully understand the mechanisms by which blueberries benefit cutaneous systems. The specific roles of blueberry-derived metabolites present in the bloodstream remain largely unknown. Exploring the effects of these metabolites on enzymatic functions, antioxidant defence, and inflammasome activation will provide valuable insights into their impact on skin health.
To fully harness the potential of blueberries for improving skin health, further research is needed to determine the duration of their beneficial effects. Studying the presence of blueberry-derived metabolites in the bloodstream over time will provide insights into how long-lasting their effects on cutaneous systems may be.
In conclusion, blueberries offer a promising option for protecting the skin against environmental stress factors and their diverse range of phytochemicals can contribute to the activation of cutaneous defence mechanisms. However, more research is necessary to uncover the specific mechanisms involved and understand the role of blueberry-derived metabolites in promoting skin health.
How stress drives us to eat comfort food
It is common that, when we get stressed, we reach for comfort food, however, recent research suggests this could have negative consequences for our health indicating the importance of stress support. Scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, as reported in the article “How chronic stress drives the brain to crave comfort food” by Science Daily, have found that stress combined with calorie-dense "comfort" food triggers changes in the brain that lead to increased eating, cravings for sweet and highly palatable food, and ultimately, poor weight management.
The study revealed that stress interferes with the brain's natural response to feeling full, resulting in continuous reward signals that promote the consumption of more highly palatable food. This disruption occurs in a region of the brain called the lateral habenula, which is typically responsible for dampening these reward signals.
Professor Herzog, the senior author of the study, explains, "Our findings reveal stress can override a natural brain response that diminishes the pleasure gained from eating -- meaning the brain is continuously rewarded to eat. We showed that chronic stress, combined with a high-calorie diet, can drive more and more food intake as well as a preference for sweet, highly palatable food, thereby promoting weight gain and obesity. This research highlights how crucial a healthy diet is during times of stress."
The researchers investigated how different areas of the brain respond to chronic stress under various diet. They discovered that the lateral habenula, which typically helps regulate the brain's reward response, remained inactive in chronically stressed subjects, allowing the reward signals to persist and encourage feeding for pleasure, even without responding to signals of satiety. Consequently, stressed subjects on a high-fat diet gained twice as much weight as non-stressed mice on the same diet.
Furthermore, the researchers conducted a sucralose preference test, which revealed that stressed subjects on a high-fat diet had a threefold increase in consuming artificially sweetened water, indicating that stress not only enhances reward responses during eating but also drives cravings for sweet and palatable food.
These findings underscore the significant influence of stress on eating habits, overriding the brain's ability to maintain a normal energy balance, suggesting that stress management plays an integral role in maintaining a normal weight. The study serves as a reminder to avoid a stressful lifestyle and, crucially, to maintain a balanced diet.
Research shows how gut health impacts heart health
There are numerous studies that are linking gut health to general wellbeing and, now, research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as reported by NutraIngredients in their article “Research indicates how gut microbiome may impact heart health”, has suggested that the gut microbiome may impact heart health.
The research illustrates how some microbes in the gut microbiome may help control the build up of plaque in the arteries by consuming a group of inflammatory chemicals before they start to circulate in the body. Nearly 1,000 participants were analysed in the research that evaluated factors including arterial plaque, uric acid levels, and microbial communities in the digestive tract.
Uric acid is the result of the breakdown of purines, which is a class of molecules, in the body. Most of the uric acid is typically filtered by the kidneys but it is estimated that around 30% of it spills into the gut and too much uric acid can lead to conditions such as gout and, as this new research shows, promotes inflammation in the body that is correlated with atherosclerosis, which is plaque building up in the arteries.
The researchers explored how purine-degrading microbes were using uric acid in the gut for their own needs, which led to less uric acid in the blood. This has resulted in a new understanding of just one way in which the gut microbiome can modulate the amount of uric acid and, therefore, support normal heart health.
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Alison is Director and Founder of Metabolics who writes about Metabolics updates, events and natural healthcare. Her experience and passion for natural supplements and healthcare comes from her years of experience as a practising osteopath, having founded Metabolics in her search for high quality, natural products in her own work. Alison has been a qualified and practising Osteopath since 1981 and regularly gives seminars on a range of healthcare subjects to the wider practitioner community helping share her knowledge and experience.