Can fiber help you lose weight? Dietitian answers 5 key questions

 When it comes to weight loss, many people track their macros — i.e., their proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. However, as a humble nutrient, fiber is often overlooked. But what if this is the missing ingredient to weight loss success? Can fiber supplements replace whole foods? In this podcast, a nutritionist answers readers’ questions about fiber and more.

Nowadays, the internet is awash with articles, charts, and recipes centered around eating more protein — anything from a 30-gram-protein breakfast to high-protein drinks and more — to naturally lose weight. And although the key to achieving good weight loss results is indeed a higher protein intake, there is a nutrient that is often overlooked: fiber.

Fiber is crucial not only for digestive functioning but overall health. Studies have shown it can lower LDL cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and protect against heart disease. Newer research also shows that fiber may promote weight loss and enhance sensitivity to insulin.

However, statistics show that less than 5% of Americans realistically meet their recommended daily fiber intake, which is on average up to 34 grams (g)Trusted Source for adult men and about 28 g for adult women. So, how can we eat more fiber?

In this episode of In Conversation, we’ll be tackling burning questions such as: What is fiber, and why is it important for our bodies? How can we tell whether we are eating enough fiber? Is it right to call fiber nature’s Ozempic?

We’ll differentiate between soluble and insoluble fiber while discussing the ideal daily intake for different people. We’ll also touch on how fiber supplements like psyllium husk compare with whole foods, weighing their benefits for our well-being. We will also look at how fiber plays a crucial role in fighting insulin resistance and its potential role in supporting weight management goals.

To discuss this and more, we’re joined by registered dietitian Lisa Valente, MS, RD. Lisa holds a Master of Science in nutrition communications from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and she completed her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital.

What are the best high-fiber foods?

After the podcast recording, for the readers of MNT, we also asked Lisa what her top favorite high fiber foods were.

“I will say frozen berries, fresh too, but frozen berries tend to be a little bit higher in fiber for a fruit. And when you buy them frozen, they’re just more affordable and easier to have on hand. [T]hey don’t go bad on you in a day — so, you can add those to smoothies or mix them into oatmeal or yogurt,” she said.

Lisa said her second choice would be whole wheat pasta and shared a fun fact about fiber.

“Brown rice only has one gram more of fiber than white rice, but whole wheat pasta has significantly more than white pasta. [It creates] like this nice fiber-rich carbohydrate base to your dinner to add some vegetables or protein to,” she said.

Her third choice was chia seeds.

“I sprinkle them on oatmeal, but you can also make chia seed pudding where you soak them with some milk or non-dairy milk and add a little bit of fruit. They’re very filling and they not only have fiber, but they also have omega-3 and a little bit of protein. So I feel like they’re sort of this tiny but mighty little seed where you can check off a lot of nutrition boxes at once. So if I had to pick three, that’s a good starting place for me,” she told us.

Please listen to our podcast episode in full below or on your preferred streaming platform.

Source - Medical News Today

Can Ozempic help lower your risk of dementia?

 

• There are several risk factors for dementia, including type 2 diabetes.
• A new study reports that semaglutide — the active ingredient in type 2 diabetes and weight loss GLP-1 medications Ozempic and Wegovy — may help lower dementia risk in people with type 2 diabetes.
• Researchers say semaglutide targets several dementia risk factors, in addition to being anti-inflammatory, which could explain this benefit.

According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, as of 2020, there were over 55 million people living with dementia, with that number expected to rise to 78 million by 2030.

There is currently no cure for dementia, which is an umbrella term for a group of brain disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia.

Experts have identified several risk factorsTrusted Source for dementia. Some are not changeable, such as age and genetics, while others are modifiable lifestyle factors.

Following a healthy diet like the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, becoming more physically active, staying socially engaged, and lowering your type 2 diabetes risk could all help prevent dementia.

“Currently, there is no cure for dementia,” Rong Xu, PhD, professor of biomedical informatics and director of the Center for AI in Drug Discovery at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, told Medical News Today.

“On the other hand, about 50% of dementia cases are preventable by targeting its 14 known modifiable risk factors. However, each risk factor contributes 1%-7% to the overall dementia risk. Therefore, we need prevention strategies that can simultaneously target multiple dementia risk factors,” Xu explained.

Xu is the lead author of a new study which found that semaglutideTrusted Source — the active ingredient in type 2 diabetes and weight-loss glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist ( GLP-1)Trusted Source

Trusted Source

PubMed Central

•  Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health

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 medications Ozempic and Wegovy — may help lower dementia risk in people with type 2 diabetes.

The findings were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Why semaglutide for dementia prevention?

For this study, researchers analyzed electronic health record data from more than 1.7 million adults in the United States with type 2 diabetes.

Study participants were followed for three years to see if they developed any Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD)Trusted Source. Types of ADRD included Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.

In addition to semaglutide, scientists also looked at other type 2 diabetes medications, including insulin, metformin, and older generation GLP-1s.

“Semaglutide is highly effective in simultaneously targeting several dementia risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseasesTrusted Source, and appears to also be beneficial for [counteracting] smoking and alcohol drinking,” Xu said.

“In addition, semaglutide has anti-inflammatory effects, and inflammation plays a significant role in the development and progression of all-cause dementias,” she continued. “These suggest that semaglutide could be an effective pharmacological prevention strategy for dementia in high-risk populations such as patients with type 2 diabetes.”

Semaglutide use helps lower vascular dementia risk

At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that participants taking semaglutide had a significantly lower risk of developing vascular dementia than those taking any other type 2 diabetes medication, including other GLP-1s.

“Our findings show evidence that semaglutide treatment in patients with diabetes appears to protect from vascular dementia and other dementia, but not frontotemporal or Lewy body dementia,” Xu explained. “In addition, this is an associational study and no causation can be drawn.”

“For people concerned about dementia, this information can guide informed decisions on choosing anti-diabetic medications for diabetes management while mitigating dementia development,” she added.

For the next steps in this research, Xu said the team plans to examine if tirzepatideTrusted Source — the active ingredient in GLP-1 medications Zepbound and Mounjaro — or other emerging newer generation GLP-1s have similar or stronger effects on dementia, as well as monitoring long-term side effects.

“Preclinical and clinical studies are necessary to understand the mechanisms and establish causal effects through randomized trials,” she continued.

“Economic and policy analyses are needed to examine the cost-effectiveness of integrating semaglutide and other pharmacotherapy-based prevention strategies with existing behavior-based approaches, such as exercise and diet in achieving substantial benefits for preserving cognitive function and preventing dementia,” Xu noted.

How might semaglutide help lower dementia risk? 

MNT spoke with Mir Ali, MD, a board-certified general surgeon, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, to find out more about how semaglutide might be able to help lower a person’s dementia risk.

“This class of medications are in widespread use and currently the most effective weight loss medications available,” Ali, who was not involved in the current study, explained. “Finding all the effects of these medications may expand possible indications for these drugs and possibly increase insurance coverage.”

Hypothesizing on potential mechanisms of prevention, Ali told us:

“To my knowledge the exact cause of Alzheimer’s dementia is unknown; obesity in general causes a chronic inflammatory process through the body and this can contribute to many medical issues. Perhaps the decrease in chronic inflammation may lead to reduction in dementia risk.”

MNT also spoke to Manisha Parulekar, MD, FACP, AGSF, CMD, director of the Division of Geriatrics at Hackensack University Medical Center, and co-director of the Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, about the current research.

Parulekar, who was similarly not involved in this study, commented that people with 2 diabetes have a significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and this research suggests a shared underlying mechanism or pathway.

“Additionally, GLP-1 receptor agonists (like semaglutide) have shown neuroprotective effects,” Parulekar continued. “Preclinical studies (in animals) have demonstrated that GLP-1 receptor agonists can protect neurons, reduce inflammation in the brain, and improve cognitive function.”

“Semaglutide also improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control, and also promotes weight loss. These improvements in metabolic health could indirectly reduce the risk of dementia. For example, better glucose control can reduce vascular damage, which is a contributing factor to vascular dementia. Weight loss can also improve cardiovascular health, which is linked to brain health.”
— Manisha Parulekar, MD, FACP, AGSF, CMD

“Lastly, other diabetes medications have shown potential cognitive benefits,” she added. “Some studies have suggested that other diabetes medications, such as metformin, may also have some protective effects against cognitive declineTrusted Source.”

Source - Medical News Todays

Particles energized by magnetic reconnection in the nascent solar wind

 New research led by a Southwest Research Institute scientist identified a new source of energetic particles near the Sun. These definitive observations were made by instruments aboard NASA's Parker Solar Probe, which detected the powerful phenomena as the spacecraft dipped in and out of the solar corona.

These new results offer fresh perspectives on how magnetic reconnection could heat the solar atmosphere, which then transitions into the solar wind, and also how solar flares accelerate a small fraction of charged particles to near-relativistic speeds."Through the SwRI-led Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, scientists made the first direct detection of the source of magnetic reconnection near Earth, observing how this explosive physical process converts stored magnetic energy into kinetic energy and heat," said SwRI's Dr. Mihir Desai, lead author of a new paper about this research. "Now Parker has made direct observations of how magnetic reconnection at the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), where the interplanetary field reverses its polarity, energizes charged particles to extremely high energies."

As Parker crossed the HCS, scientists discovered a sunward-directed reconnection jet and sunward-propagating highly energetic protons, establishing their origin from HCS reconnection sites and not from unrelated processes at the Sun. Within the core of the reconnection exhaust, Parker detected trapped energetic protons a thousand times greater than the available magnetic energy per particle.

"These findings indicate that magnetic reconnection in the HCS is an important source of energetic particles in the near-Sun solar wind," Desai said. "Everywhere there are magnetic fields there will be magnetic reconnection. But the Sun's magnetic fields are much stronger near the star, so there's a lot more stored energy to be released."

Magnetic reconnection -- when magnetic field lines converge, break apart and reconnect in an explosive physical process -- energizes particles and generates high-speed flows. At the heart of space weather, reconnection is responsible for powerful solar events, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and drives disturbances in Earth's space environment. Such disturbances produce spectacular auroras but can also shut down electrical power grids and disrupt satellite-based communication and navigation systems.

"Reports from the American Meteorological Society indicated that the powerful solar events in May 2024 wreaked havoc with farmers when extreme geomagnetic storms disrupted the precise GPS-guided navigation systems used to plant, fertilize and harvest rows of seeds, causing an estimated loss of up to $500 million in earning potential," Desai said. "Parker's access to this new data is critical, particularly as we remain in the midst of a very active solar cycle."Parker was able to make these measurements due to its record-breaking proximity to the Sun, flying through its corona up to three times a year. Of particular interest is understanding how the Sun's atmosphere heats up and accelerates the solar wind. Understanding these processes can also help scientists develop ways to predict and mitigate the effects of solar flares and CMEs, as well as provide new insights for laboratory fusion research.

The Parker Solar Probe was developed as part of NASA's Living With a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The Living With a Star program is managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory designed, built and operates the spacecraft and manages the mission for NASA.

Source: ScienceDaily

Baboons walk in line for friendship, not survival, new study finds

 Researchers at Swansea University have discovered that baboons walk in lines, not for safety or strategy, but simply to stay close to their friends.

Baboons often travel in structured line formations known as 'progressions' as they move through their home range. Previous studies offered conflicting explanations for this behavior. Some proposed that the order was random, while others argued that baboons strategically positioned themselves, with vulnerable individuals walking in the center to reduce their risk of attack.Now, using high-resolution GPS tracking, researchers from Swansea University have re-examined this behavior in a group of wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) on South Africa's Cape Peninsula. Their findings, published in the journal Behavioral Ecology, reveal that baboon movement patterns are driven by social bonds rather than survival strategies.

The team analysed 78 travel progressions over 36 days and showed that the order in which the individual baboons travelled were not random.

The researchers tested four potential explanations for the baboon progression order:

1. Protecting the vulnerable (risk hypothesis)
2. Competing for resources (competition hypothesis)
3. Following leaders (group decision-making hypothesis)
4. Patterns emerging from social relationships (social spandrel hypothesis)

After analysing the data, the researchers found that the baboons' movement patterns were driven solely by their social relationships.

Dr Andrew King, Associate Professor at Swansea University said: "Surprisingly, the consistent order we see for the baboons we studied isn't about avoiding danger like we see in prey animals when they position themselves in the middle of their social group, or for better access to food or water like we see in like we see in the movements of plains zebra. Instead, it's driven by who they're socially bonded with. They simply move with their friends, and this produces a consistent order.

"In the baboon group we studied, the more socially connected, higher-ranking individuals usually walk in the middle of the group, while lower-ranking baboons are often out in front or at the rear. During these group movements -- like heading to a familiar sleeping spot -- it's likely that the group already knows where they're going. So, the baboons at the front aren't really leading; they're just out ahead."This finding introduces the concept of a 'social spandrel'. In buildings, spandrels are the triangular spaces that emerge as by-products when arches are placed side by side. In biology, a spandrel refers to a trait that arises not because it was directly selected for, but as a side effect of something else. In this case, the consistent travel patterns among baboons emerge naturally from their social affiliations with each other, and not as an evolved strategy for safety or success.

Marco Fele, the study's lead author and PhD student at Swansea University, said: "We know that strong social bonds are important for baboons -- they're linked to longer lives and greater reproductive success. But in this context, those bonds aren't serving a specific purpose. The travel order we see is simply a by-product of those relationships, not a strategy with immediate benefits. Our study highlights the potential for these kinds of spandrels in collective animal behaviour."

Source: ScienceDaily

DNA floating in the air tracks wildlife, viruses -- even drugs

 DNA floating in the air over Dublin revealed everything from wildlife to illegal drugs. Scientists used air filters to collect eDNA, showing that we can track species and pathogens invisibly, without ever seeing them. Credit: Shutterstock

Dublin is known as a city where you can enjoy a few pints of Guiness, get a warm welcome from the locals and hear lively traditional music drifting out of pubs and into the city air.

But it's not just music floating on the breeze. The air of Dublin also contains cannabis, poppy, even magic mushrooms -- at least their DNA.

That's according to a new study that reveals the power of DNA, vacuumed up from the air, which can track everything from elusive bobcats to illicit drugs."The level of information that's available in environmental DNA is such that we're only starting to consider what the potential applications can be, from humans, to wildlife to other species that have implications for human health," said David Duffy, Ph.D., a professor of wildlife disease genomics at the University of Florida and lead author of a new study showing the widespread utility of DNA vacuumed from the air.

Housed at UF's Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Duffy's lab developed new methods for deciphering environmental DNA, also known as eDNA, to study sea turtle genetics. They've expanded the tools to study every species -- including humans -- from DNA captured in environmental samples like water, soil and sand.

But these errant strands of DNA do not just settle into muddy soil or flow along rivers. The air itself is infused with genetic material. A simple air filter running for hours, days or weeks can pick up signs of nearly every species that grows or wanders nearby.

"When we started, it seemed like it would be hard to get intact large fragments of DNA from the air. But that's not the case. We're actually finding a lot of informative DNA," Duffy said. "That means you can study species without directly having to disturb them, without ever having to see them. It opens up huge possibilities to study all the species in an area simultaneously, from microbes and viruses all the way up to vertebrates like bobcats and humans, and everything in between."

As a proof of concept, the researchers showed that they could pick up signs of hundreds of different human pathogens from the Dublin air, including viruses and bacteria. Such surveillance could help scientists track emerging diseases. The same method can track common allergens, like peanut or pollen, more precisely than is currently possible, the scientists discovered.

In another test of the power of eDNA, Duffy's lab was also able to identify the origin of bobcats and spiders whose DNA was hoovered up from air in a Florida forest. With little more than an air filter, scientists could track endangered species and identify where they came from, all without having to lay eyes on skittish animals or root around forest floors for scat samples. When trying to save and conserve wildlife, knowing where an animal originates from can be as important as knowing where it currently is.

Source: ScienceDaily

First direct observation of the trapped waves that shook the world in 2023

 In September 2023, a bizarre global seismic signal was observed which appeared every 90 seconds over nine days -- and was then repeated a month later. Almost a year later, two scientific studies proposed that the cause of these seismic anomalies were two mega tsunamis which were triggered in a remote East Greenland fjord by two major landslides which occurred due to warming of an unnamed glacier. The waves were thought to have become trapped in the fjord system, forming standing waves (or seiches) that undulated back and forth, causing the mystery signals.

However, up to now no observations of these seiches existed to confirm this theory. Even a Danish military vessel which visited the fjord three days into the first seismic event did not observe the wave which was shaking the Earth.In the new study, the Oxford researchers used novel analysis techniques to interpret satellite altimetry data. This measures the height of the Earth's surface (including the ocean) by recording how long it takes for a radar pulse to travel from a satellite to the surface and back again. Up to now, conventional satellite altimeters were not able to capture evidence of the wave due to long gaps between observations, and the fact that they sample data directly beneath the spacecraft, producing 1D profiles along the sea-surface. This makes them incapable of depicting the differences in water height needed to spot the waves.

This study used data captured by the new Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, launched in December 2022 to map the height of water across 90% of Earth's surface. At the heart of SWOT is the cutting-edge Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) instrument, which uses two antennas mounted on a 10-meter boom on either side of the satellite. These two antennas work together to triangulate the return signals that bounce back from the radar pulse -- enabling them to measure ocean and surface water levels with unprecedented accuracy (up to 2.5 meters resolution) along a swath 30 miles (50 kilometers) wide.

Using KaRIn data, the researchers made elevation maps of the Greenland Fjord at various time points following the two tsunamis. These showed clear, cross-channel slopes with height differences of up to two metres. Crucially, the slopes in these maps occurred in opposite directions, showing that water moved backwards and forwards across the channel.

To prove their theory, the researchers linked these observations to small movements of the Earth's crust measured thousands of kilometres away. This connection enabled them to reconstruct the characteristics of the wave, even for periods which the satellite did not observe. The researchers also reconstructed weather and tidal conditions to confirm that the observations could not have been caused by winds or tides.

Lead author Thomas Monahan (DPhil student, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford) said: "Climate change is giving rise to new, unseen extremes. These extremes are changing the fastest in remote areas, such as the Arctic, where our ability to measure them using physical sensors is limited. This study shows how we can leverage the next generation of satellite earth observation technologies to study these processes."

Source: ScienceDaily

Scientists say next few years vital to securing the future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

 Collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could be triggered with very little ocean warming above present-day, leading to a devastating four metres of global sea level rise to play out over hundreds of years according to a study now published in Communications Earth & Environment, co-authored by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). However, the authors emphasise that immediate actions to reduce emissions could still avoid a catastrophic outcome.

Scientists at PIK, the Norwegian research centre NORCE and Northumbria University in the United Kingdom conducted model simulations going back 800,000 years to give an extended view of how the vast Antarctic Ice Sheet has responded in the past to the Earth's climate as it moved between cold "glacial" and warmer "interglacial" periods.

"In the past 800,000 years, the Antarctic Ice Sheet has had two stable states that it has repeatedly tipped between. One, with the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in place, is the state we are currently in. The other state is where the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has collapsed," lead author David Chandler from NORCE commented.

The major driver of change between the two states is rising ocean temperatures around Antarctica, because the heat melting the ice in Antarctica is supplied mostly by the ocean, rather than the atmosphere. Once the ice sheet has tipped to the collapsed state, reversal back to the stable present-day state would need several thousands of years of temperatures at or below pre-industrial conditions.

"Once tipping has been triggered it is self-sustaining and seems very unlikely to be stopped before contributing to about four meters of sea-level rise. And this would be practically irreversible," Chandler said.

"It takes tens of thousands of years for an ice sheet to grow, but just decades to destabilise it by burning fossil fuels. Now we only have narrow window to act," said co-author Julius Garbe from PIK.

Source: ScienceDaily

Tea, berries, dark chocolate and apples could lead to a longer life span, study shows

 New research has found that those who consume a diverse range of foods rich in flavonoids, such as tea, berries, dark chocolate, and apples, could lower their risk of developing serious health conditions and have the potential to live longer.

The study was led by a team of researchers from Queen's University Belfast, Edith Cowan University Perth (ECU), and the Medical University of Vienna and Universitat Wien.

The findings reveal that increasing the diversity of flavonoids within your diet could help prevent the development of health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and neurological disease.

Flavonoids are found in plant foods like tea, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, grapes, and even red wine and dark chocolate.

Published in Nature Food, the study tracked over 120,000 participants aging from 40 to 70 years old for over a decade. It is the first study of its kind to suggest that there is a benefit to consuming a wide range of flavonoids beyond that of simply consuming a high quantity.

ECU Research Fellow, first author and co-lead of the study Dr Benjamin Parmenter, made the initial discovery that a flavonoid-diverse diet is good for health.

"Flavonoid intakes of around 500 mg a day was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality, as well as a ~10% lower risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disease. That's roughly the amount of flavonoids that you would consume in two cups of tea."

Dr Parmenter added, however, that those who consumed the widest diversity of flavonoids, had an even lower risk of these diseases, even when consuming the same total amount. For example, instead of just drinking tea, it's better to eat a range of flavonoid-rich foods to make up your intake, because different flavonoids come from different foods.

"We have known for some time that higher intakes of dietary flavonoids, powerful bioactives naturally present in many foods and drinks, can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson's," study co-lead Professor Aedín Cassidy from the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's said.

"We also know from lab data and clinical studies that different flavonoids work in different ways, some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation. This study is significant as the results indicate that consuming a higher quantity and wider diversity has the potential to lead to a greater reduction in ill health than just a single source."

Professor Tilman Kuhn from the Medical University of Vienna, Universitat Wien and Queen's University Belfast was also a co-lead author, noted that the importance of diversity of flavonoid intake has never been investigated until now, making this study very significant as the findings align with popular claims that eating colourful foods are invaluable to maintain good health.

"Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours, including those rich in flavonoids, means you're more likely to get the vitamins and nutrients you need to sustain a healthier lifestyle," he said.

The first-ever dietary guidelines for flavonoids were released recently recommending increasing the consumption of flavonoids to maintain health.

"Our study provides inaugural evidence that we may also need to advise increasing diversity of intake of these compounds for optimal benefits," Dr Parmenter said.

"The results provide a clear public health message, suggesting that simple and achievable dietary swaps, such as drinking more tea and eating more berries and apples for example, can help increase the variety and intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and potentially improve health in the long-term," Professor Cassidy added.

Source : ScienceDaily

Brain training game offers new hope for drug-free pain management

 A trial of an interactive game that trains people to alter their brain waves has shown promise as a treatment for nerve pain -- offering hope for a new generation of drug-free treatments.

The PainWaive technology, developed by UNSW Sydney researchers, teaches users how to regulate abnormal brain activity linked to chronic nerve pain, offering a potential in-home, non-invasive alternative to opioids.

A recent trial of the technology, led by Professor Sylvia Gustin and Dr Negin Hesam-Shariati from UNSW Sydney's NeuroRecovery Research Hub, has delivered promising results, published in the Journal of Pain.

The study compared hundreds of measures across participants' pain and related issues like pain interference before, during and after four weeks of interactive game play. Their brain activity was tracked via EEG (electroencephalogram) headsets, with the app responding in real time to shifts in brainwave patterns.

Three out of the four participants showed significant reductions in pain, particularly nearing the end of the treatment. Overall, the pain relief achieved by the three was comparable to or greater than that offered by opioids.

"Restrictions in the study's size, design and duration limit our ability to generalise the findings or rule out placebo effects," Dr Hesam-Shariati says.

"But the results we've seen are exciting and give us confidence to move to the next stage and our larger trial."

The PainWaive project builds on UNSW Professor Sylvia Gustin's seminal research into changes in the brain's thalamus -- a central relay hub in the brain -- associated with nerve (neuropathic) pain.

"The brainwaves of people with neuropathic pain show a distinct pattern: more slow theta waves, fewer alpha waves, and more fast, high beta waves," Prof. Gustin says.

"We believe these changes interfere with how the thalamus talks to other parts of the brain, especially the sensory motor cortex, which registers pain."

"I wondered, can we develop a treatment that directly targets and normalises these abnormal waves?"

The challenge was taken up by an interdisciplinary team at UNSW Science and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), led by Prof. Gustin and Dr Hesam-Shariati, and resulted in PainWaive.

The four participants in its first trial received a kit with a headset and a tablet preloaded with the game app, which includes directions for its use. They were also given tips for different mental strategies, like relaxing or focusing on happy memories, to help bring their brain activity into a more "normal" state.

The user data, meanwhile, was uploaded to the research team for remote monitoring.

"After just a couple of Zoom sessions, participants were able to run the treatment entirely on their own," says Dr Hesam-Shariati.

"Participants felt empowered to manage their pain in their own environment. That's a huge part of what makes this special."

Initially, Dr Hesam-Shariati says, the team planned to use existing commercial EEG systems, but they were either too expensive or didn't meet the quality needed to deliver the project. Instead, they developed their own.

"Everything except the open-source EEG board was built in-house," says Dr Hesam-Shariati. "And soon, even that will be replaced by a custom-designed board."

Thanks to 3D printing, Prof. Gustin says, the team has cut the cost of each headset to around $300 -- a fraction of the $1,000 to $20,000 price tags of existing systems.

The headset uses a saline-based wet electrode system to improve signal quality and targets the sensorimotor cortex.

"We've worked closely with patients to ensure the headset is lightweight, comfortable, and user-friendly," says Prof. Gustin.

"Owning the technology offers us the potential to one day offer PainWaive as a truly affordable, accessible solution for at-home pain management, especially for those with limited access to traditional treatments."

The researchers are now calling for participants to register their interest in two upcoming trials of the neuromodulation technology: the Spinal Pain Trial, investigating its potential to reduce chronic spinal pain, and the StoPain Trial, exploring its use in treating chronic neuropathic pain in people with a spinal cord injury.

Source: ScienceDaily

Tea, berries, dark chocolate and apples could lead to a longer life span, study shows

 New research has found that those who consume a diverse range of foods rich in flavonoids, such as tea, berries, dark chocolate, and apples, could lower their risk of developing serious health conditions and have the potential to live longer.

The study was led by a team of researchers from Queen's University Belfast, Edith Cowan University Perth (ECU), and the Medical University of Vienna and Universitat Wien.The findings reveal that increasing the diversity of flavonoids within your diet could help prevent the development of health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and neurological disease.

Flavonoids are found in plant foods like tea, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, grapes, and even red wine and dark chocolate.

Published in Nature Food, the study tracked over 120,000 participants aging from 40 to 70 years old for over a decade. It is the first study of its kind to suggest that there is a benefit to consuming a wide range of flavonoids beyond that of simply consuming a high quantity.

ECU Research Fellow, first author and co-lead of the study Dr Benjamin Parmenter, made the initial discovery that a flavonoid-diverse diet is good for health.

"Flavonoid intakes of around 500 mg a day was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality, as well as a ~10% lower risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disease. That's roughly the amount of flavonoids that you would consume in two cups of tea."

Dr Parmenter added, however, that those who consumed the widest diversity of flavonoids, had an even lower risk of these diseases, even when consuming the same total amount. For example, instead of just drinking tea, it's better to eat a range of flavonoid-rich foods to make up your intake, because different flavonoids come from different foods.

"We have known for some time that higher intakes of dietary flavonoids, powerful bioactives naturally present in many foods and drinks, can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson's," study co-lead Professor Aedín Cassidy from the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's said.

"We also know from lab data and clinical studies that different flavonoids work in different ways, some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation. This study is significant as the results indicate that consuming a higher quantity and wider diversity has the potential to lead to a greater reduction in ill health than just a single source."Professor Tilman Kuhn from the Medical University of Vienna, Universitat Wien and Queen's University Belfast was also a co-lead author, noted that the importance of diversity of flavonoid intake has never been investigated until now, making this study very significant as the findings align with popular claims that eating colourful foods are invaluable to maintain good health.

"Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours, including those rich in flavonoids, means you're more likely to get the vitamins and nutrients you need to sustain a healthier lifestyle," he said.

The first-ever dietary guidelines for flavonoids were released recently recommending increasing the consumption of flavonoids to maintain health.

"Our study provides inaugural evidence that we may also need to advise increasing diversity of intake of these compounds for optimal benefits," Dr Parmenter said.

"The results provide a clear public health message, suggesting that simple and achievable dietary swaps, such as drinking more tea and eating more berries and apples for example, can help increase the variety and intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and potentially improve health in the long-term," Professor Cassidy added.

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Eating an array of smaller fish could be nutrient-dense solution to overfishing

 To satisfy the seafood needs of billions of people, offering them access to a more biodiverse array of fish creates opportunities to mix-and-match species to obtain better nutrition from smaller portions of fish.

The right combination of certain species can provide up to 60% more nutrients than if someone ate the same quantity of even a highly nutritious species, according to an analysis by Cornell University researchers.

"This research hopefully highlights the importance of biodiversity, not just because of a moral quandary that we're causing a mass extinction on Earth, but also because biodiversity can lead to better outcomes for fishery sustainability," said first author Sebastian Heilpern, a postdoctoral fellow who has done previous research related to this in the Amazon River.

In the study, Heilpern and colleagues began by identifying a list of fish species that people are known to consume. Heilpern cross-checked it with existing nutrient content data for each species. From there, researchers determined the fish species that are found in every country or territory on Earth. The biogeographic and nutrient data was then fed into a computer model.

"We can then ask, out of all these combinations of potential options of species, which ones could we select and how much of each, in a way that would provide us with sufficient nutrition to meet a person's diet [needs] with the lowest amount of fish biomass," Heilpern said.

The model revealed that when fisheries are more biodiverse, an optimal diet that uses the lowest quantity of fish skews towards species with traits that can give them greater resilience to anthropogenic pressures like overexploitation and climate change. Such species tend to be smaller, lower on the food chain, and can be substituted with a wider range of other small species that contain similar levels of nutrients, thereby providing people with many potential alternatives.

Smaller species, like sardines, tend to be more ecologically resilient because they grow at faster rates than larger species. Additionally, optimal species are able to tolerate wider temperature ranges, making them more resilient to climate shocks.

The investigation showed that tropical coastal countries tend to have the most biodiverse fisheries, including countries in the Coral Triangle in the Pacific Ocean, Australia, India and the Amazon. The U.S. has good biodiversity, though Americans tend to consume a select few species; only 10 species account for up to 90% of fish that Americans eat.

The study was funded by the Schmidt Sciences programs, Cornell University, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

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Why your diet might be making you sad--Especially if you're a man

 New research reveals a surprising downside to calorie-cutting diets: a link to higher levels of depressive symptoms, especially in men and those who are overweight. Despite popular beliefs that healthy eating boosts mental wellness, real-life restrictive diets may be nutritionally unbalanced, potentially harming emotional and cognitive health.

Following a low calorie diet is linked to a heightened risk of depressive symptoms, finds research published in the open access journal, BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

Men and those who are overweight may be especially vulnerable to the effects of restrictive eating, the findings suggest.

A 'healthy' diet rich in minimally processed foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean proteins and fish, is generally associated with a lower risk of depression, while an 'unhealthy' diet, dominated by ultra-processed foods, refined carbs, saturated fats, processed meats and sweets, is generally associated with a heightened risk, explain the researchers.But people follow many different types of diet for health or medical reasons, including those that restrict calories or particular nutrients, and it's not clear if these other dietary patterns might be associated with a risk of depressive symptoms, they add.

To explore this further, they drew on 28,525 adult respondents (14,329 women and 14,196 men) to the nationally representative US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2007-18, who had completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptom severity.

In all, 2508 people (just under 8%) reported depressive symptoms, and 7995 participants (29%) had a healthy weight; 9470 (33%) were overweight; and 11060 (38%) were obese.

Participants were asked if they were following any particular diet either to lose weight or for other health reasons, and if so, which of the 9 diet options set out in all 6 cycles of NHANES they were on.

Dietary patterns were categorised into 4 groups: (1) calorie-restrictive; (2) nutrient-restrictive (low in fat/cholesterol, sugar, salt, fibre, or carbs); (3) established dietary patterns (adapted for diabetes, for example); and (4) not on a diet.

Most participants (25,009, 87%) said they weren't on any specific diet, while 2026 (8%) followed a calorie-restrictive diet, 859 (3%) a nutrient-restrictive diet, and 631 (2%) an established dietary pattern.

When stratified by sex, a greater proportion of men (12,772; 90%) than women (12,237; 85%) said they weren't on a diet. Calorie restriction was most commonly reported by obese participants (1247;12%) and those who were overweight (594; 8%), while nutrient-restrictive and established dietary patterns were less commonly reported, with the highest proportion of established dietary pattern users among obese participants (359; 3%).

PHQ-9 scores were 0.29 points higher in those on calorie-restrictive diets than in those not on any specific diet.

The scores were higher among those who were overweight and following a calorie-restrictive diet: their PHQ-9 scores were 0.46 points higher, while a nutrient-restrictive diet was associated with a 0.61 point increase in PHQ-9 scores.

Calorie-restrictive diets were also associated with higher cognitive-affective symptom scores (measure of relationship between thoughts and feelings) while nutrient-restrictive diets were associated with higher somatic symptom scores (excessive distress and anxiety about physical symptoms).

These scores also varied by sex: a nutrient-restrictive diet was associated with higher cognitive-affective symptom scores in men than in women not on a diet, while all 3 types of diet were associated with higher somatic symptom scores in men.

And people living with obesity following an established dietary pattern had higher cognitive-affective and somatic symptom scores than those of a healthy weight not on a diet.

This is an observational study, and as such no firm conclusions can be drawn about causality. Respondents may not have accurately classified their diets either, say the researchers.

The findings also contradict those of previously published studies suggesting that low calorie diets improve depressive symptoms. But the researchers explain: "This discrepancy may arise because prior studies were primarily randomised controlled trials (RCTs) where participants adhered to carefully designed diets ensuring balanced nutrient intake.

"In contrast, real-life calorie-restricted diets and obesity often result in nutritional deficiencies (particularly in protein, essential vitamins/minerals) and induce physiological stress, which can exacerbate depressive symptomatology including cognitive-affective symptoms." Another possible explanation might be a failure to lose weight or weight cycling -- losing weight and then putting it back on, they suggest.

By way of an explanation for the observed gender discrepancies, the researchers point out that glucose and the fatty acid omega-3 are critical for brain health. "Diets low in carbohydrates (glucose) or fats (omega-3s) may theoretically worsen brain function and exacerbate cognitive-affective symptoms, especially in men with greater nutritional needs," they suggest.

Professor Sumantra Ray, Chief Scientist and Executive Director of the NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, which co-owns BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health with BMJ Group, comments: "This study adds to the emerging evidence linking dietary patterns and mental health, raising important questions about whether restrictive diets which are low in nutrients considered beneficial for cognitive health, such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12, may precipitate depressive symptoms.

"But the effect sizes are small, with further statistical limitations limiting the generalisability of the findings. Further well designed studies that accurately capture dietary intake and minimise the impact of chance and confounding are needed to continue this important line of inquiry."

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