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Poor diet 'causes lifetime damage': Foods full of fat, sugar and salt change the way genes work, say scientists

The damage caused by unhealthy eating can last a lifetime – even after going on a diet, according to research.

Scientists suggest that foods full of fat, sugar and salt change the way genes work and even swapping them for fish, fruit and vegetables cannot turn back the clock.

Tests on mice found that those fed a junk food diet were still more prone to hardening of the arteries even after treatment because the function of genes, including those vital to the immune system, had been altered in a process known as ‘epigenetics’.

Bad diet: Foods full of fat, sugar and salt change the way genes work, scientists say

Researcher Erik van Kampen, of Leiden University, Holland, said: 'I hope this study demonstrates the importance of diet induced changes in the epigenome and encourages further research into the interaction between dietary patterns, DNA methylation and disease.'

Can Broccoli Chemical Cure Autism?

Brussels Sprouts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A chemical found in broccoli may point the way to a cure for autism. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts, improved the classic symptoms of autism in teens and young men.

"We believe that this may be preliminary evidence for the first treatment of autism that improves symptoms by apparently correcting some of the underlying cellular problems," said Paul Talalay, M.D., professor of pharmacology and molecular sciences.

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Are pills containing frozen POO the key to beating hospital superbug?

A deadly hospital superbug could be treated using capsules of frozen faeces from healthy people, a new study has found.

The gut infection Clostridium difficule (C. difficile) can be life-threatening, especially in the elderly.

But scientists in the US found introducing 'normal' gut bacteria from a healthy donor's excrement, rebalanced a C. difficile patient's system, curing their illness.

They successfully cured 18 of 20 patients who took part in the study at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston of their diarrhea, improving their condition.

A new study has found capsules of frozen facecal matter from healthy donors can cure C. difficile patients of their severe diarrhoea. Doctors in the US cured 18 of the 20 patients taking part in their research. (File picture)

In healthy people the bacteria C. difficile lies harmlessly in the gut. But the feared infection is caused when antibiotics upset the balance of the intestines. While natural bacteria that protect against infection are decimated by the drugs, C. difficile multiply. The result is severe diarrhoea, which can cause fatal complications, including swelling of the bowel from a build-up of gas.

The new research builds on a UK study published in 2012 where 'stool transplants' were used to restore the balance of the gut in mice suffering C. difficile.

But the methods used were invasive and presented problems for human patients.

The researchers developed a method whereby they could freeze healthy stool samples, enclosing them in capsules for patients to swallow.

Could symptoms of autism be improved by eating broccoli?

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Suforaphane - which gives broccoli its bitter taste - could help treat autism, a study found

Broccoli could hold the key to treating autism, research suggests.The chemical that gives broccoli its distinctive bitter taste made teenagers and young men with autism calmer and more sociable, a study found.

‘Remarkable’ improvements were seen in as little as four weeks and by the end of the study, some of those given a capsule a day felt able to look the researchers in the eye and shake their hand.

The finding suggests it may be possible to create a pill that gets to the root of autism for the first time.Existing drugs simply control symptoms such as aggression, hyperactivity or sleep problems, but do not address the underlying cause of the condition.

Researcher Dr Paul Talalay, a professor of pharmacology in the US who has spent the last 25 years researching nature’s medicine cabinet, said: ‘It was a small study but the effects were very, very large.

‘We believe that this may be preliminary evidence for the first treatment for autism that improves symptoms by apparently correcting some underlying cellular mechanisms.’

British experts described the research as ‘intriguing’ but said it is simply too early to say if broccoli is beneficial in autism.

The research, from the respected MassGen Hospital for Children and Johns Hopkins University, both in Boston, comes amid concern about rising rates of autism.

More than one in 100 British children has autism or a related condition such as Asperger's Syndrome - a 10-fold increase on 30 years ago.

Low-calorie sweeteners found in diet drinks RAISE the risk of obesity and diabetes by affecting how the body processes sugar

Low-calorie artificial sweeteners found in diet drinks actually 'raise the risk of diabetes and obesity'

Millions rely on them to help them stay thin. But low-calorie artificial sweeteners actually raise the risk of obesity, researchers fear.

The popular sugar alternatives found in diet drinks and in sachets in cafes and restaurants may also increase the odds of diabetes.

The sweeteners under the microscope are saccharin, which is found in Sweet’N Low, sucralose, which is found in Splenda, and aspartame, which is found in many diet drinks.

The Israeli researchers that ‘today’s massive, unsupervised consumption’ of artificial sweeteners needs to be reassessed.

The warning at a time when growing concern about the damage done by sugar is likely to mean more people are switching to artificial alternatives.

British experts urged caution, saying that much of the work was done in mice. But they also said that water is the healthiest drink.

The researchers, from the Weizmann Institute of Science, first showed that all three sweeteners made it more difficult for mice to process sugar.

This is known as glucose intolerance and is important because it raises risk of developing diabetes and obesity.

In a study of almost 400 people, the researchers linked artificial sweetener with being fatter and glucose intolerance.

And, worryingly, volunteers who didn’t normally eat or drink artificially-sweetened foods began to become glucose intolerant after just four days of consumption.

The numbers affected were small – just four out of seven men and women in the trial – but the research overall was judged significant enough to be published in Nature one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals.

Other experiments suggested the sweeteners do the damage by altering type of bacteria in the gut.

While this might seem odd, some of the bugs that live naturally in our digestive system are very good at breaking down food.

If they thrive on artificial sweeteners, this could lead to more energy being extracted from food and more fat being stored – raising the odds of obesity.

Common diabetes drug metformin could cause thyroid and heart problems, experts warn

A drug widely prescribed to those with diabetes could cause thyroid, heart and a host of other health problems, a study has warned.

Metformin is commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar levels by reducing glucose production in the liver.

But new research, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found the drug is linked to having an underactive thyroid.

The drug metformin - widely prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes - could cause heart disease and a host of other health problems, scientists have warned

An apple a day could keep obesity away: Granny Smiths promote friendly bacteria helping us feel fuller for longer

Granny Smith apples were found to contain high levels of a compound that promotes good bacteria in the gut, helping people feel fuller for longer

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, goes the saying.

But a new study has found more specifically, that a Granny Smith a day could be the key to preventing obesity.

The bright green, crisp variety helps people feel full, inhibiting the urge to eat.

They were found to promote friendly bacteria, which invokes the feeling of being full.

The study, published in the journal Food Chemistry, revealed that the non digestible compounds in the fruit, which include fibre and polyphenols, do not get broken down by stomach acid.

When they reach the colon they are fermented by bacteria in the colon which helps friendly bacteria in the gut to grow.

Scientists at Washington State University tested several different varieties of apple on mice, to see which caused the most growth of friendly bacteria.

Granny Smiths worked better than Golden Delicious, Gala, Braeburn and other popular varieties, they discovered.

The variety, known for its slightly tart flavour, had a particularly high fibre content and compounds like polyphenols which do not break down when eaten, they reported.

The team analysed mouse droppings after feeding the animals, some of which were obese, different types of fruit.

They discovered the balance of bacteria in the colon of obese people is often 'disturbed' in a way that can disrupt the metabolism and make people feel hungry.

It was revealed that the faeces of overweight mice that had eaten Granny Smith apples had changed and become similar to that of slim mice.

The discovery could lead to future treatments for weight problems.

Think antioxidants will make you live longer? Think again:

We all want to stay as healthy and young-looking as possible, which is why millions of us dutifully take antioxidant supplements such as vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, as well as splashing out on costly antioxidant 'superfoods' such as blueberries.

For years we've swallowed the line from scientists that antioxidants could slow the rate at which our cells - and therefore our bodies - age.

The theory is that antioxidants reduce the 'oxidising' damage caused by free radicals - corrosive molecules produced by our bodies as we process oxygen, and which we also breathe in from polluted air and smoking.

For years we've swallowed the line from scientists that antioxidants could slow the rate at which our cells

It is thought that when these free radicals attack proteins and lipids (fats in the cells), it breaks down the cell membrane and damages the DNA inside. This in turn may cause cancerous mutations, as well as making the cells age more rapidly. Free-radical damage to brain cells is also believed to cause the sort of drops in cognitive functioning associated with ageing.

In Britain, we spend £175 million a year on antioxidant supplements - but a new study suggests we might be wasting our money. Not only do free radicals not cause ageing, say researchers at McGill University in Canada, but taking antioxidant pills may actually make our bodies age faster- making them a short cut to an early grave. So what is going on?

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Is ibuprofen making us sick? Research suggests it may cause gut conditions such as coeliac disease

Taking ibuprofen is linked to the development of coeliac disease, research suggests

A National Institutes of Health study revealed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause intestinal inflammation and can increase the permeability of the intestines.

NIBBLED to death: Researchers find parasitic diarrhea-causing amoeba kills human cells 'like a piranha'

Entamoeba histolytica parasites ingesting bites of intestinal cells in a mouse intestine, captured using live two-photon microscopy. Tissue was from a mouse expressing membrane-targeted green fluorescent protein (green) and amoebae were coloured blue.

Virginia researcher found Entamoeba histolytica,(pictured), which causes a potentially fatal diarrhea common in the developing world, infects by nibbling human cells until they die.

People with sleep apnoea are 340% more likely to die of cancer, study suggests

People with sleep apnoea are 340 per cent more likely to die of cancer, new research suggests

Researchers at the University of Sydney Nursing School found people with the sleep condition are also two and a half times more likely to develop the disease.


Wasabi Fights Highly Lethal Pancreatic Cancer ALERT: It’s Here – CDC Confirms MERS Virus Infection on U.S. Soil

The end of heart disease?

Scientists have discovered a way to block the formation of excess cholesterol that leads to heart disease.

Working with mice and rabbits, Johns Hopkins scientists successfully prevented the development of atherosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks and strokes and the number-one cause of death among humans.

The condition develops when fat builds inside blood vessels over time and renders them stiff, narrowed and hardened, greatly reducing their ability to feed oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle and the brain.

HOW THEY DID IT

Mice used in the experiments were genetically engineered to lack a protein essential in the breakdown of fats and thus were predisposed to atherosclerosis.

The researchers fed the animals a high-fat diet over the course of several months, but also gave a third of the animals a low-dose of D-PDMP.

They gave a double dose of the same inhibitor to another third and placebo to the rest.

These effects were observed in animals on a daily D-PDMP treatment even though they ate a diet made up of 20 percent triglycerides - the human equivalent of eating a greasy burger for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Researchers identified and halted the action of a single molecular culprit responsible for a range of biological glitches that affect the body’s ability to properly use, transport and purge itself of cholesterol — the fatty substance that accumulates inside vessels and fuels heart disease.

The offender, the researchers say, is a fat-and-sugar molecule called glycosphingolipid, or GSL, which resides in the membranes of all cells, and is mostly known for regulating cell growth.

Results of the experiments, the scientists say, reveal that this very same molecule also regulates the way the body handles cholesterol.

The Johns Hopkins team used an existing man-made compound called D-PDMP to block the synthesis of the GSL molecule, and by doing so, prevented the development of heart disease in mice and rabbits fed a high-fat, cholesterol-laden diet.

The findings, in the journal Circulation, reveal that D-PDMP appears to work by interfering with genetic pathways that regulate fat metabolism on several fronts - from the way cells derive and absorb cholesterol from food, to the way cholesterol is transported to tissues and organs and is then broken down by the liver and excreted from the body.

Poor diet 'causes lifetime damage': Foods full of fat, sugar and salt change the way genes work, say scientists

Can Broccoli Chemical Cure Autism?

Are pills containing frozen POO the key to beating hospital superbug?

Could symptoms of autism be improved by eating broccoli?

Low-calorie sweeteners found in diet drinks RAISE the risk of obesity and diabetes by affecting how the body processes sugar

Common diabetes drug metformin could cause thyroid and heart problems, experts warn

An apple a day could keep obesity away: Granny Smiths promote friendly bacteria helping us feel fuller for longer

An apple a day could keep obesity away: Granny Smiths promote friendly bacteria helping us feel fuller for longer

Think antioxidants will make you live longer? Think again:

Latest Health Links

Is ibuprofen making us sick? Research suggests it may cause gut conditions such as coeliac disease

NIBBLED to death: Researchers find parasitic diarrhea-causing amoeba kills human cells 'like a piranha'

People with sleep apnoea are 340% more likely to die of cancer, study suggests

Wasabi Fights Highly Lethal Pancreatic Cancer

ALERT: It’s Here – CDC Confirms MERS Virus Infection on U.S. Soil

The end of heart disease?

HOW THEY DID IT

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An apple a day could keep obesity away: Granny Smiths promote friendly bacteria helping us feel fuller for longer

HOW THEY DID IT