inflammation tagged posts

Chronic, low-grade inflammation caused by high fat diets contributes to obesity and type 2 diabetes and other inflammation-related disorders like cardiovascular disease, stroke and rheumatoid arthritis. Prof David Earnest, Ph.D. and his team have shown that consumption of saturated fats at certain times may “jet lag” internal clocks, as well as the resulting inflammation.

Earnest’s previous work suggested that a high-fat diet alters how our body clocks keep time, particularly in immune cells that mediate inflammation. Earlier findings show that a high fat diet slows down the clocks in immune cells such that they no longer “tell” accurate time. Now, he and his team, including Robert S. Chapkin, Ph.D...

Variety of fiber-rich foods. Credit: ATS

A diet rich in fiber may not only protect against diabetes and heart disease, it may reduce the risk of developing lung disease, according to new research. Analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, researchers report in “The Relationship between Dietary Fiber Intake and Lung Function in NHANES,” that among adults in the top quartile of fiber intake:
• 68.3% had normal lung function, vs 50.1% in the bottom quartile
• 14.8% had airway restriction, vs 29.8% in the bottom quartile.

In 2 important breathing tests, those in the top quartile had a greater lung capacity (FVC) and could exhale more air in one second (FEV1)r.

“Lung disease is an important public health problem, so it’s important to identify modifiable risk...

Micrograph showing a lymph node invaded by ductal breast carcinoma, with extension of the tumour beyond the lymph node. Credit: Nephron/Wikipedia

The high amounts of dietary sugar in the typical Western diet may increase the risk of breast cancer and metastasis to the lungs, according to a study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The findings, demonstrated dietary sugar’s effect on an enzymatic signaling pathway known as 12-LOX (12-lipoxygenase).

“We found that sucrose intake in mice comparable to levels of Western diets led to increased tumor growth and metastasis, when compared to a non-sugar starch diet,” said Assistant Prof. Peiying Yang, Ph.D. “This was due, in part, to increased expression of 12-LOX and a related fatty acid called 12-HETE.”
Previous epidemiological...

People who regularly drank moderate amounts of coffee daily –less than 5 cups per day — experienced a lower risk of deaths from cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, Type 2 diabetes and suicide. The benefit held true for drinking caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, suggesting it’s not just the caffeine providing health perks but possibly the naturally occurring chemical compounds in the coffee beans. Credit: Copyright American Heart Association

Drinking a second or third cup of coffee may do more than get you through a long day – it may also reduce your risk of death from heart disease and other illnesses.