Single Gene Controls Body Fat

A gene found in many animals – from fruit flies to humans – has been shown to regulate fat synthesis and storage:

Mice with [the fat burn gene switched off] ate as much or more than normal mice. However, they were leaner, had diabetes-resistant fat cells, and were better able to control insulin and blood-sugar metabolism. In contrast, animals with [the fat burn gene turned down] were fatter and less healthy, and had diabetes. The researchers also showed that gene activity could be turned up or down, not just on or off.

So is a “I can remain on the couch and yet be a babe” pill in the works? Don’t hold your breath.

Dr David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, warned that it could take many years to develop genetic treatments for obesity. In the meantime, he said, the only way to tackle the problem effectively was to encourage people to eat healthily and take exercise.

More at the BBC.

Eating Well

Over at Mark’s Daily Apple, Mark has summed up the elements of a good diet in plain English.

My Advice? Eat Like Mark.

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

More from the European Society of Cardiology

The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities with abdominal obesity (increased waist circumference) at its centre. Although all forms of obesity have a negative impact on human health, metabolic syndrome describes a set of particularly adverse biochemical changes accompanying (abdominal) obesity.

MS is most often identified by having three or more out of five possible abnormalities (components) which form the metabolic syndrome cluster. These five abnormalities in the cluster are:

1. increased waist circumference (abdominal obesity),
2. elevated triglycerides (a fat component in the blood),
3. low HDL-cholesterol (“good” cholesterol),
4. a slightly increased blood glucose level (impaired fasting glycemia: the blood sugar level is not as high as in diabetes but is elevated above normal), and
5. high blood pressure.

Our research (…) indicates that in (young) middle-aged subjects (35-55 year old) MS is frequently present (9-16% of subjects depending on the definition used) and that its presence coincides with a wide range of adverse cardiovascular changes.

More specifically we found a strong association between presence of MS and inflammation (a well documented marker of risk for future heart attacks and stroke), thickening and stiffening of the heart (potentially predisposing to heart failure) and more pronounced atherosclerosis (calcification and narrowing of the arteries). Importantly these effects were graded, every additional MS component present translated into a gradually higher likelihood of finding cardiovascular damage.

Efforts should be focused on awareness of abdominal obesity as a risk factor for developing heart disease, and on wide ranging preventive strategies to avert its (potentially epidemic) consequences.

The condition is known by a number of different names including syndrome X and insulin resistance amongst others.

People with the metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of coronary heart disease and other diseases related to plaque buildups in artery walls (e.g., stroke and peripheral vascular disease) and type 2 diabetes. – American Heart Association

While most factors leading to metabolic syndrome are under your control (diet, excercise, smoking, etc.) there appears to be at least one that isn’t: your place in the pecking order:

It is well documented that individuals with higher social status have lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). This is generally not explained by differences in lifestyle factors such as smoking and lack of exercise.

and your level of education:

When combining the factors in the metabolic syndrome, individuals with the highest level of education had 68% lower risk of having the metabolic syndrome than individuals with the lowest educational level. Surprisingly, this difference was not explained by differences in lifestyle or psychosocial factors: when taking these factors into account individuals with highest level of education still had 60% lower risk of having the metabolic syndrome. This is equal to a 2.5 higher risk of metabolic syndrome in the lowest socio-economic position compared to the highest.

Is Homocysteine Innocent?

Despite homocysteine levels being lowered by up to 30 per cent there was no effect on cardiovascular disease. “The homocysteine hypothesis is dead. It seems that homocysteineis an innocent bystander,” said Bønaa. Results also showed there was a 40 per cent increase in the risk of new cancers in the group taking folic acid (p=0.08), an observation warranting further investigation. Bønaa said: “It’s believed that folic acid may speed up the division of cancer cells.”

In a bit of old news recyled from 2005, this press release indicates that treating homocysteine levels has no impact on mortality from cardiovascular disease.

Previous studies had suggested that folic acid and vitaminB-6 exerted a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease through their ability to lower blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, thought to cause endothelial damage. This led some clinicians to prescribe B vitamins to their cardiovascular patients.

After three and a half years, results showed no difference for the primary end point of non-fatal/fatal MI and non fatal/fatal stroke between groups taking folic acid, vitamin B-6 and placebo. However, there was a 20 per cent higher risk of MI and stroke in the group taking folic acid and vitamin B-6.

The original 2005 presentation and comments are available on the website of the European Society of Cardiologists.

Homocysteine would thus be much like cholestorol: when present it’s a signal to get your act together but simply eliminating the substance from your bloodstream is pointless. It is a symptom and not the cause. The cause is your body out of balance from previous diet and lifestyle choices.

Tea & Milk: A Bad Combo

Researchers warn milk eliminates cardiovascular health benefits of tea

Tests on volunteers showed that black tea significantly improves the ability of the arteries to relax and expand, but adding milk completely blunts the effect. Supporting tests on rat aortas (aortic rings) and endothelial (lining) cells showed that tea relaxed the aortic rings by producing nitric oxide, which promotes dilation of blood vessels. But adding milk blocked the effect.

Five Worst Dietary Trangressions

Over at Modern Forager, Scott Kustes dishes out some sound advice on Diet Don’ts:

1. Refined Sugar
2. Trans Fat
3. Too few fruits and vegetables
4. Grain products (bread, pasta, cereals, etc)
5. Artificial sweeteners

This advice is equally applicable to those trying to get into shape or those already extremely fit. If the list isn’t self-explanatory then read the full article!

Mercury and Fish

Is sushi a good source of protein in my diet or should I worry about mecury? Marion Nestle is over at Eating Liberally and explains that the only fish we need to watch out for are:

1. shark
2. swordfish
3. king mackere
4. tilefish
5. albacore (white) tuna

Read the full interview here.

Endurance Training Can Age You

Training is no guarantee of health – Mark Sisson at slow twitch

Thinking of doing aerobics for the rest of your life to get in shape? The experience of endurance trainers is a useful guide:

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: Endurance training is antithetical to anti-aging. So it amazes me when guys in their 40s and 50s who are training for a marathon or Ironman suggest that doing so will keep them young. It won’t. You may feel like a stud now with your shaved legs and your magic marker biceps tattoos, but endurance training speeds up the aging process almost as fast as watching TV, drinking sodas and eating potato chips. Actually, in some cases, it speeds it up even faster.

There appears to be two pathways to adrenal exhaustion (which was discussed in the recent post on insulin resistance) – through consuming high GI meals (the way of the fat) or by endurance training (the way of the lean):

(…) not only does training and racing tend to produce [cortisol], but even the training meals can produce it. A meal high in sugar and other simple carbohydrates can cause a dramatic rise in cortisol (as part of an insulin-adrenaline cascade). That’s one reason why sugar is known as a powerful immune suppressor.

Chronic high-level training naturally depletes glycogen, which causes the body to release the adrenal hormone cortisol to cannibalize muscle tissue in order to help make new glucose (gluconeogenesis). Besides tearing down valuable muscle, chronic cortisol release carries with it a litany of negative effects. It suppresses immune function, which opens the door not only for short term upper respiratory infections, but may leave the door open for longer term, more serious issues (asthma, cancer, heart disease [which we know has a strong inflammatory component]). Chronic cortisol release also reduces calcium uptake by bones, and it’s not surprising that so many runner/triathletes — especially women — have low bone density. Anti-aging experts will tell you that among elderly, low bone density is a pretty accurate predictor of mortality. Break a hip bone when you’re older and your chances of dying skyrocket.

OK heavy stuff. So what does the author recommend as an ideal fitness program?

I prefer hiking, sprinting and weight-training today.

Eating Made Simple

How do you cope with a mountain of conflicting diet advice? (PDF)
Marion Nestle inScientific American

Neurotransmitters and Insulin Resistance

Discussion on adrenal exhaustion and the changes in other hormones as insulin resistance develops.

“This is not a lifestyle disorder. You can’t just tell people to try harder.”

The Link: Neurotransmitters and Insulin Resistance (8.7Mb 1h14min)
Warning – Highly Technical

From Sanesco
Sanesco International is a research-driven medical company whose goal is to expand knowledge of the body’s Communication System and its critical role in health.