Nutritional modulators of neuropsychiatric dysfunction

This review article gathers evidence on the potential relationship between dietary intake of w3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (w3 PUFAs) and mental function. Several pieces of evidence that w3 PUFAs influence affective and cognitive function are presented. Although published data and results available in the field remain limited and sometimes ambiguous, they have shed a new light on the role of proper diet in general, w3 PUFAs in particular, in many mental disorders and dysfunctions, including depression and cognitive decline in aging. The analysis of the influence of fatty acids on human health allows us to formulate a new, more holistic approach to both prevention and treatment of psychological disorders and dysfunctions. What is more, it appears that w3 PUFAs have a beneficial influence on mental function in healthy people as well. The currently available data concerning the influence of fatty acids on behaviour and mental function are still insufficient and suffer so far from lack of standard determination of background, intermediairy and endpoint omega-6/3 ratios in plasma lipids of patients involved in both epidemiological and intervention studies. There is a great need for further refined trials in the field

Therapy through Social Medicine: Cultivating Connections and Inspiring Solutions for Healthy Living

Objective: This paper is to identify key areas where healthy living may be improved in India, and the converse, through cultivating connections at government, community, and at individual levels. Methods and Materials: Key healthy living issues for India were selected and relevant evidence obtained from internet sources together with personal experience over decades of multi- and inter-disciplinary international research activities. Approach: Key activities of connectivity in the development of Indian healthcare arising from “Methods and Materials” were evaluated. These included, the UN Millennium Development Goals, government-private interaction for healthcare benefit, family planning, Modicare 2015, women in society, business and clinical strategies, infrastructure, building “families”, fish stocks preservation, ecological epidemiology, NCDs, and transgenesis. Results: In a nutritional context, “education for all” leading to connectivity and a pragmatic inspirational approach to understanding complex issues of population dynamics is essential. Of importance are scientific endeavours in agriculture and aquaculture, water utilization, food manufacture, complex issues of supply and demand at an economic eco-friendly and sustainable level, chemoprevention and treatment of diseases (where nutritionally applicable) such as with functional foods: all of which are so vital if one is to raise standards for healthy living in this century and beyond. Developing-India could be a test-bed for other countries to follow, having both the problems and professional understanding of issues raised. By 2025, the UK’s Department for International Development programme in India aims to promote secondary school education for young girls, i.e., extending the age of marriage, and interventions that will lead to better health and nutrition, family planning, and developing skills for employment; and supporting India’s “Right to Education Act”. The outcome may result in smaller better-nourished higher-income families. Computer school networks at Nosegay Public School in Moradabad and the municipal authorities, there, aim to reduce the consumption of unhealthy foodstuff dictated by personal convenience, media influence, and urban retail outlets and promotions. The Tsim Tsoum Institute has advocated the adoption of the Mediterranean/Palaeolithic diet with its high omega-3: omega-6 fatty acid ratio aimed at an improvement in global health due to an expected reduction in the epidemic of pre-metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease [1,2]. Tomorrow, low-cost computer apps are advocated as a driving force in the selection of healthy foods, grown/produced under environmentally safe conditions, within retail outlets for use by mothers with limited budgets that may lead to a revolution in retail management and policy. Chemo-preventive prospective strategies such as those involving polyphenols, lignans, (found in fruits, vegetables, and soya) and other natural phytochemical products, and functional foods, which balance benefit and risk of disease, need to be continually developed, especially to reduce breast and prostate cancer. Conclusion: There is an opportunity to make nutrition a central part of the post-2015 sustainable human and agricultural development agenda for the The Expert Panel for the UN 2030 programme to consider. Solutions for cultivating connections and inspiring solutions for healthy living in India have included all the above issues and this swathe of actions, some within the Nagoya protocol, has been presented for the purpose of contributing towards the health of India

Circadian time structure of fatty acids and vascular monitoring

Summary The circadian variation of 40 circulating fatty acids related variables was assessed from one man (F) and one woman (G). Each provided blood samples by finger pricking at about 4-hour intervals for 24 hours. A statistically significant rhythm was found in 65% of the variables after data expressed as a percentage of their 24-hour mean values were pooled. In particular, a putative circadian rhythm for n-3 and n-6 fatty acids deserves exploration. The predominant 12-hour component found to characterize the n-3 status of G may stem from the odd schedule she followed on the day of study, as attested by alterations in the time structure of her blood pressure on the day of study, as compared to similarly collected data on 33 other Sundays in 2009 available as control information. Circadian vascular characteristics are sensitive markers of loads, including the rest-activity schedule

Potential Chonobiological Triggering Factors of Acute Heart Attack

Abstract: The immediate triggers of acute heart attack or acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are not known exactly. There is a marked increase in sympathetic activity, neuroendocrino-logical dysfunction, oxidative stress and deficiency of 3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, as well as antioxidants during ACS. Energy intake and expenditure have diurnal variation throughout 24-hour cycle and any disturbance in this cycle may result into disruption of the endogenous clock and neurohumoral dysfunctions. Clinical studies have reported an increased incidence of reinfarction, sudden death, coronary constriction, myocardial ischaemia, vascular variability disorders and angina, during second quarter of the 24 hour cycle, at the point where there is rapid withdrawal of vagal activity and increase in sympathetic tone. In several studies, among patients with heart attack, there was a significant 2-3 fold increase in cardiac events in the second quarter of the day (6-12 hours) compared to other quarters respectively. Triggers of heart attack were noted in up to 80.0% of patients in various studies. Brain related and psychological mechanisms, i.e., emotional stress, sleep deprivation, cold climate, hot climate, large meals and physical exertion were observed among 30-50% of patients. Such triggers have also been reported in Europe, North America and Asia. These triggering factors are known to enhance sympathetic activity and decrease vagal tone, resulting into increased secretion of plasma cortisol, noradrenaline, aldosterone, angiotensin converting enzyme, interleukin-1, 2, 6, 18 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, that are proinflammatory. There is also a deficiency in the serum levels of 3 fatty acids, vitamin A, E, C, coenzyme Q10, magnesium, potassium, melatonin, interleukin-10 (antiinflammatory) and increase in TBARS, MDA, diene conjugates, TNF-alpha and IL-6, which are indicators of oxidative damage and inflammation, respectively. It is not clear whether the predisposition of ACS is due to size of the meals or other proinflammatory factors of meals

Effects of Prayer and Meditation on Circadian Dysfunction

Prayer, meditation and mindfulness have been commonly used for healing in Vedic, Jainism, Buddhism, Egyptian, Greek and Mesopotemian cultures [1]. In Buddhism, mindfulness is a component of Eight Fold Path, therefore using mindfulness in the modern science is not absolutely correct. A definition of prayers of Mesopotamia was “praise to god followed by request.” The ancient mystic Hinduism wrote Rigveda prayer, Figure 1. Meditation and prayer appear to be important practices for the management of emotional and spiritual wellbeing [1-4]. Prayer may also influence the physiology of circadian rhythms in our body and it has evolved possibly as adaptation to the rotation of the earth around its axis [4]. Circadian rhythms account for increased activity of the sympathetic nerves of the autonomic nervous system with marked releases of cortisol, catecholamines (norepinephrine and adrenaline), testosterone and thyroid hormones. In turn, these neurotransmitters and hormones occur at a circadian stage when endogenous melatonin level is decreased to low values in the morning [4]. There is a need to prevent the circadian rhythm of adverse biological functions observed between 6.00 to 12.00 hours during the day, because circadian dysfunction can predispose to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The circadian dysfunction may worsen due to risk factors, although protective factors such as prayer, meditation and moderate physical activity may prevent circadian dysfunction [2-4]. The aim of the present study is to emphasize the beneficial role of prayer, mindfulness and meditation in the protection against circadian dysregulation in the body, thereby preventing CVDs, especially sudden cardiac death (SCD)

Heritability and Artificial Selection on Ambulatory Dispersal Distance in Tetranychus urticae: Effects of Density and Maternal Effects

Dispersal distance is understudied although the evolution of dispersal distance affects the distribution of genetic diversity through space. Using the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, we tested the conditions under which dispersal distance could evolve. To this aim, we performed artificial selection based on dispersal distance by choosing 40 individuals (out of 150) that settled furthest from the home patch (high dispersal, HDIS) and 40 individuals that remained close to the home patch (low dispersal, LDIS) with three replicates per treatment. We did not observe a response to selection nor a difference between treatments in life-history traits (fecundity, survival, longevity, and sex-ratio) after ten generations of selection. However, we show that heritability for dispersal distance depends on density. Heritability for dispersal distance was low and non-significant when using the same density as the artificial selection experiments while heritability becomes significant at a lower density. Furthermore, we show that maternal effects may have influenced the dispersal behaviour of the mites. Our results suggest primarily that selection did not work because high density and maternal effects induced phenotypic plasticity for dispersal distance. Density and maternal effects may affect the evolution of dispersal distance and should be incorporated into future theoretical and empirical studies

Handbook of lipids in human function : fatty acids /

Handbook of Lipids in Human Function: Fatty Acids presents current research relating to health issues whose impact may be modified by adopting personalized diets and lifestyle interventions of the consumption of fatty acids. Addressing cardiovascular and neurological diseases as well as cancer, obesity, inflammatory conditions, and lung disease, the authors correlate lipid sources with specific conditions, providing important insights into preventative as well as response-based actions designed to positively impact health outcomes. The material is presented in 29 chapters and brings together the research and work of an international team of experts. designed to bridge the gap between traditional approaches to dietary interventions and leading edge integrated health strategies, Handbook of Lipids in Human Function: Fatty Acids is a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians.Chapter 1: Personalized Diet and Lifestyle Interventions on Lipids and Lipoproteins>Chapter 2: Trans Fats and Risks of Cardiovascular Diseases: Facts or Artifacts?>Chapter 3: Fatty Acids and Cardiac Ischemia Reperfusion Injury>Chapter 4: Lipids Nutrition and Epigenetic Modification in Obesity-Related Co-Morbitities>Chapter 5: Dairy Products: Their Role in the Diet and Effects on Cardiovascular Disease>Chapter 6: Fatty Acids in Corn Oil: Role in Heart Disease Prevention>Chapter 7: Dietary Approaches to Reduce Aortic Stiffness>Chapter 8: Inflammation and Atherogenic Effects Due to Saturated Fatty Acids>Chapter 9: The Use of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 PUFAs) in Atrial Fibrillation>Chapter 10: Individual Fatty Acids in Cardiometabolic Disease>Chapter 11: Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Patients with Coronary Disease Treated with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention>Chapter 12: Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on.And Trans Fatty Acids in Meat and Milk>Chapter 20: Lipids and Metabolic Syndrome>Chapter 21: Fatty Acids and Hypothalamic Dysfunction in Obesity>Chapter 22: Dietary Lipid Determines the Health of Airway Epithelia and the Lungs>Chapter 23: Oleic Acid and Lung Injury>Chapter 24: Dietary Fats and Inflammation>Chapter 25: Intensive Lipid-Lowering Treatment in Patients with Inflammatory Joint Diseases>Chapter 26: Arachidonic Acid and Cancer Risk>Chapter 27: Blood Cell Membrane Omega-3 (n-3) Fatty Acid Abnormality and Supplementation in Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia>Chapter 28: Lipids, Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation and NAFLD: A Menage A Trois?>Chapter 29: Disturbances of Lipid Metabolism in a Cancer Cell and How This Knowledge Increases Its Role in Clinical Oncology.CIP data; item not viewed.Handbook of Lipids in Human Function: Fatty Acids presents current research relating to health issues whose impact may be modified by adopting personalized diets and lifestyle interventions of the consumption of fatty acids. Addressing cardiovascular and neurological diseases as well as cancer, obesity, inflammatory conditions, and lung disease, the authors correlate lipid sources with specific conditions, providing important insights into preventative as well as response-based actions designed to positively impact health outcomes. The material is presented in 29 chapters and brings together the research and work of an international team of experts. designed to bridge the gap between traditional approaches to dietary interventions and leading edge integrated health strategies, Handbook of Lipids in Human Function: Fatty Acids is a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians.Front Cover; Handbook of Lipids in Human Function: Fatty Acids; Copyright Page; Contents; List of Contributors; Preface; Acknowledgments; 1 Personalized Diet and Lifestyle Interventions on Lipids and Lipoproteins; Introduction; Diet Habits, Lifestyles, and Circulating Lipids and Lipoproteins; Genetic Determinants of Circulating Lipids and Lipoproteins; Gene-Diet/Lifestyle Interactions and Circulating Lipids and Lipoproteins; Lipidomics; Summary; References; 2 Trans Fats and Risks of Cardiovascular Diseases: Facts or Artifacts?; Introduction.From Cis to TFAs: Natural Perfection to Industrial ImperfectionPhysicochemical Characteristics of TFAs: Valuable Reasons for Industrial Production; Analytical TFA Characterization: Not Always Easy, But Often Present; TFAs on Health and Cardiovascular Diseases: Are They Really Hurting the Heart?; TFA-Mediated Molecular Mechanisms Leading to Higher CVD Risks; Contrasting Panorama of Worldwide TFA Consumption Is Relying on Technological Alternatives and Preventive Policies; Key Points; References; 3 Fatty Acids and Cardiac Ischemia Reperfusion Injury; Introduction; Membrane Organization.Ischemia Reperfusion InjuryCardioprotection; Myocardial Energetics; The n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids; The n-3 PUFAs in Cardiovascular Disease; The n-3 PUFA Antiarrythmetic Effects; The n-3 PUFA Alterations to Membrane Microdomain; The n-3 PUFA Effects on Cardiac Function; The n-3 PUFA Index; The n-3 PUFA Effects on Mitochondrial Function; The n-3 PUFA Metabolites; The n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids; n-6 PUFAs in Cardiovascular Disease; n-6 PUFAs: CYP-Derived Metabolites of AA; n-6 PUFAs: CYP-Derived Metabolites of LA; n-6 PUFAs: Cyclooxygenase-Derived Metabolites.N-6 PUFAs: Lipooxygenase-Derived MetabolitesThe n-6/n-3 FA Ratio in Cardiovascular Disease; Trans Fatty Acids; Saturated Fatty Acids; References; 4 Lipids Nutrition and Epigenetic Modification in Obesity-Related Co-Morbitities; List Abbreviations; Introduction; Obesity and Epigenetic; Atherosclerosis and Epigenetic; NAFLD and Epigenetic; Cancer and Epigenetics; Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Epigenetic; Conclusion; References; 5 Dairy Products: Their Role in the Diet and Effects on Cardiovascular Disease; Introduction; Trends in the Consumption of Milk and Dairy Foods.Nutrients Provided by Dairy FoodsContribution of Dairy Foods to Fat and Fatty Acid Intake; Epidemiological Evidence of the Association Between Dairy Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease; Saturated and Monounsaturated Fatty Acids from Milk and Cardiovascular Disease: Evidence from Intervention Studies; Dairy and Blood Lipid Profile; Dairy and Insulin Action; Dairy, Blood Pressure, and Arterial Stiffness; Trans Fatty Acids from Milk and Cardiovascular Disease; Conclusions; Acknowledgments; References; 6 Fatty Acids in Corn Oil: Role in Heart Disease Prevention; Introduction.Elsevie

Food Antioxidants and Their Anti-Inflammatory Properties: A Potential Role in Cardiovascular Diseases and Cancer Prevention

Mediterranean-style diets caused a significant decline in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in early landmark studies. The effect of a traditional Mediterranean diet on lipoprotein oxidation showed that there was a significant reduction in oxidative stress in the intervention group (Mediterranean diet + Virgin Olive Oil) compared to the low-fat diet group. Conversely, the increase in oxidative stress causing inflammation is a unifying hypothesis for predisposing people to atherosclerosis, carcinogenesis, and osteoporosis. The impact of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents on cancer and cardiovascular disease, and the interventive mechanisms for the inhibition of proliferation, inflammation, invasion, metastasis, and activation of apoptosis were explored. Following the Great Oxygen Event some 2.3 billion years ago, organisms have needed antioxidants to survive. Natural products in food preservatives are preferable to synthetic compounds due to their lower volatility and stability and generally higher antioxidant potential. Free radicals, reactive oxygen species, antioxidants, pro-oxidants and inflammation are described with examples of free radical damage based on the hydroxyl, nitric oxide and superoxide radicals. Flavonoid antioxidants with 2- or 3-phenylchroman structures such as quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, apigenin, and luteolin, constituents of fruits, vegetables, tea, and wine, which may reduce coronary disease and cancer, are described. The protective effect of flavonoids on the DNA damage caused by hydroxyl radicals through chelation is an important mechanism, though the converse may be possible, e.g., quercetin. The antioxidant properties of carotenoids, which are dietary natural pigments, have been studied in relation to breast cancer risk and an inverse association was found with plasma concentrations: higher levels mean lower risk. The manipulation of primary and secondary human metabolomes derived especially from existing or transformed gut microbiota was explored as a possible alternative to single-agent dietary interventions for cancer and cardiovascular disease. Sustained oxidative stress leading to inflammation and thence to possibly to cancer and cardiovascular disease is described for spices and herbs, using curcumin as an example of an intervention, based on activation of transcription factors which suggest that oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and cancer are closely linked

The Role of Food Antioxidants, Benefits of Functional Foods, and Influence of Feeding Habits on the Health of the Older Person: An Overview

This overview was directed towards understanding the relationship of brain functions with dietary choices mainly by older humans. This included food color, flavor, and aroma, as they relate to dietary sufficiency or the association of antioxidants with neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Impairment of olfactory and gustatory function in relation to these diseases was also explored. The role of functional foods was considered as a potential treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase as well as similar treatments based on herbs, spices and antioxidants therein. The importance of antioxidants for maintaining the physiological functions of liver, kidney, digestive system, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer has also been highlighted. Detailed discussion was focused on health promotion of the older person through the frequency and patterns of dietary intake, and a human ecology framework to estimate adverse risk factors for health. Finally, the role of the food industry, mass media, and apps were explored for today’s new older person generation