Beauty Health for Life

While Omega-3 essential fatty acids—found in foods like wild fish and grass-fed livestock—are necessary for human body functioning, their effects on the working memory of healthy young adults have not been studied until now.

In the first study of its kind, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have determined that healthy young adults ages 18-25 can improve their working memory even further by increasing their Omega-3 fatty acid intake. Their findings have been published online in PLOS One.

“Before seeing this data, I would have said it was impossible to move young healthy individuals above their cognitive best,” said Bita Moghaddam, project investigator and professor of neuroscience. “We found that members of this population can enhance their working memory performance even further, despite their already being at the top of their cognitive game.”

Led by Rajesh Narendarn, project principal investigator and associate professor of radiology, the Pitt research team sought healthy young men and women from all ethnicities to boost their Omega-3 intake with supplements for six months. They were monitored monthly through phone calls and outpatient procedures.

Before they began taking the supplements, all participants underwent positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, and their blood samples were analyzed. They were then asked to perform a working memory test in which they were shown a series of letters and numbers. The young adults had to keep track of what appeared one, two, and three times prior, known as a simple “n-back test.”

“What was particularly interesting about the presupplementation n-back test was that it correlated positively with plasma Omega-3,” said Moghaddam. “This means that the Omega-3s they were getting from their diet already positively correlated with their working memory.”

After six months of taking Lovaza—an Omega-3 supplement approved by the Federal Drug Administration—the participants were asked to complete this series of outpatient procedures again. It was during this last stage, during the working memory test and blood sampling, that the improved working memory of this population was revealed.

“So many of the previous studies have been done with the elderly or people with medical conditions, leaving this unique population of young adults unaddressed,” said Matthew Muldoon, project coinvestigator and associate professor of medicine at Pitt. “But what about our highest-functioning periods? Can we help the brain achieve its full potential by adapting our healthy behaviors in our young adult life? We found that we absolutely can.”

Although the effects of Omega-3s on young people were a focus, the Pitt team was also hoping to determine the brain mechanism associated with Omega-3 regulation. Previous rodent studies suggested that removing Omega-3 from the diet might reduce dopamine storage (the neurotransmitter associated with mood as well as working memory) and decrease density in the striatal vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (commonly erred to as VMAT2, a protein associated with decision making). Theore, the Pitt researchers posited that increasing VMAT2 protein was the mechanism of action that boosted cognitive performance. Unfortunately, PET imaging revealed this was not the case.

“It is really interesting that diets enriched with Omega-3 fatty acid can enhance cognition in highly functional young individuals,” said Narendarn. “Nevertheless, it was a bit disappointing that our imaging studies were unable to clarify the mechanisms by which it enhances working memory.”

Ongoing animal modeling studies in the Moghaddam lab indicate that brain mechanisms that are affected by Omega-3s may be differently influenced in adolescents and young adults than they are in older adults. With this in mind, the Pitt team will continue to evaluate the effect of Omega-3 fatty acids in this younger population to find the mechanism that improves cognition.

Other Pitt researchers involved in the project include William G. Frankle, professor of psychiatry, and Neal S. Mason, research assistant professor of radiology.

The paper, “Improved Working Memory but No Effect on Striatal Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Type 2 after Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation” was published online Oct. 3 by PLOS One and supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.

University of Granada researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences have scientifically disproven the old belief that eating chocolate is fattening. In an article published this week in the journal Nutrition, the authors have shown that higher consumption of chocolate is associated with lower levels of total fat (fat deposited all over the body) and central fat (abdominal), independently of whether or not the individual participates in regular physical activity and of diet, among other factors.

The researchers determined whether greater chocolate consumption associated with higher body mass index and other indicators of total and central body fat in adolescents participating in the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study. This project, financed by the European Union, studies eating habits and lifestyle in young people in 9 European countries, including Spain.


Independent of diet and physical activity

The study involved 1458 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years and results showed that a higher level of chocolate consumption associated with lower levels of total and central fat when these were estimated through body mass index, body fat percentage—measured by both skinfolds and bioelectrical impedance analysis—and waist circumference. These results were independent of the participants sex, age, sexual maturation, total energy intake, intake of saturated fats, fruit and vegetables, consumption of tea and coffee, and physical activity.

As the principle author Magdalena Cuenca-García explains, although chocolate is considered a high energy content food—it is rich in sugars and saturated fats—“recent studies in adults suggest chocolate consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders”.

In fact, chocolate is rich in flavonoids—especially catechins—which have many healthy properties: “they have important antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease”.

Recently, another cross-sectional study in adults conducted by University of California researchers found that more frequent chocolate consumption also associated with a lower body mass index. Whats more, these results were confirmed in a longitudinal study in women who followed a catechin-rich diet.

The effect could be partly due to the influence of catechins on cortisol production and on insulin sensitivity, both of which are related with overweight and obesity.


Calorie impact is not the only thing that matters

The University of Granada researchers have sought to go further and analyse the effect of chocolate consumption at a critical age like adolescence by also controlling other factors that could influence the accumulation of fat. The research, which is both novel and, perhaps, the largest and best-controlled study to date, is the first to focus on the adolescent population. It includes a large number of body measures, objective measurement of physical activity, detailed dietary recall with 2 non-consecutive 24-hour registers using image-based software, and controls for the possible effect of a group of key variables.

In Nutrition, the authors stress that the biological impact of foods should not be evaluated solely in terms of calories. “The most recent epidemiologic research focuses on studying the relation between specific foods—both for their calorie content and for their components—and the risk factors for developing chronic illnesses, including overweight and obesity”.

Despite their results, the authors insist that chocolate consumption should always be moderate. “In moderate quantities, chocolate can be good for you, as our study has shown. But, undoubtedly, excessive consumption is prejudicial. As they say: you can have too much of a good thing”.

The University of Granada researchers stress that their findings “are also important from a clinical perspective since they contribute to our understanding of the factors underlying the control and maintenance of optimal weight”.

Common oral problems have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, premature birth, and more.
Its easy to ignore the effects of poor oral hygiene because theyre hidden in your mouth. But gum disease produces a bleeding, infected wound thats the equivalent in size to the palms of both your hands, says Susan Kara bin, (Doctor of Dental Surgery) DDS, a New York periodontist and president of the American Academy of Period ontology.

"If you had an infection that size on your thigh, youd be hospitalized," Karabin says. "Yet people walk around with this infection in their mouth and ignore it. Its easy to ignore because it doesnt hurt ... but its a serious infection, and if it were in a more visible place, it would be taken more seriously."

You may think that the worst consequence of poor dental health would be lost teeth and painful times in the dentists chair. But some studies have linked common oral problems to illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, premature birth, osteoporosis, and even Alzheimers disease. In most cases, the strength and exact nature of the link is unclear, but they suggest that dental health is important for preserving overall health.

"We need to educate the public that the mouth isnt disconnected to the rest of the body," says Sally Cram, DDS, a periodontist in Washington, D.C., and spokeswoman for the American Dental Association.
How Gum Disease Spreads

Periodontal disease is an infection caused by unhealthy bacteria that lodge between the teeth and gums. Simply brushing your teeth is enough to put some of those bacteria into your bloodstream, says Robert J. Genco, DDS, PhD, an oral biologist at the University of Buffalo. The bacteria then travel to major organs where they can spur new infections.

Inflammation also plays a role in spreading the effects of bad oral health. Red and swollen gums signal the bodys inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria. "If you have inflammation in your mouth, certain chemicals are produced in response that can spread [through the bloodstream] and wreak havoc elsewhere in the body," Cram says.

Evidence is mounting of the importance of the "mouth-body connection," as it is known, as dental problems are being linked to a growing list of other ailments.
Oral Health and Diabetes

Karabin has diagnosed several cases of diabetes from her dentists chair. "When I see a patient with multiple abscesses in their mouth ... I immediately think diabetes. I will send that patient for a glucose tolerance test." Nearly one-third of people with diabetes are unaware that they have it, and dentists can play a big role in diagnosing these patients, Genco says.

Diabetes and gum disease can interact in a vicious circle. Infections of any kind, including gum disease, cause the body to produce proteins called cytokines, which increase insulin resistance and make blood sugar more difficult to control, Karabin says. Conversely, uncontrolled diabetes impairs the bodys healing mechanism, which makes it harder to control gum disease, Cram says.

Diabetic patients who avoid dentists out of fear or anxiety will have problems that go beyond tooth loss, says John Buse, MD, PhD, director of the Diabetes Care Center at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "You probably wont be able to do a good job taking care of diabetes unless you go to a dentist."

Gum disease may also speed the progression to full-blown diabetes in the 54 million Americans who are classified as prediabetic. According to the American Diabetes Association, many people first become aware they have diabetes when they develop dental disease.

In a 2007 study, Danish researchers compared prediabetic rats with gum disease to prediabetic rats without gum disease. The rats with gum disease soon displayed increased insulin resistance and other signs of progression toward type 2 diabetes.
Oral Health and Heart Disease

People with periodontal disease are nearly twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without, according to the American Academy of Periodontology. One theory is that oral bacteria attach to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries and contribute to the clots that can lead to heart attacks. Another is that inflammation increases plaque buildup.

Although evidence has been mixed, more than 20 "good-sized" studies have demonstrated the relationship between gum disease and heart disease, Genco says. But that relationship is still not confirmed as with other known risk factors such as smoking or obesity. Genco is planning a major study to see whether treating gum disease can forestall a second heart attack in people who have already had one.

Recent analysis suggests that common oral problems could increase the risk of cardiac problems. Indra Mustapha, DDS, a periodontist who teaches at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and colleagues analyzed the results of other research studies and found that periodontal disease with signs of bacterial exposure was associated with greater risk of heart disease.

The American Heart Association states, "At this time, promoting dental treatment expressly to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and/or acute cardiovascular events is not recommended."
Oral Health and Premature Birth

"Ob-gyns always knew that preterm and low-birth-weight births could be triggered by infections in the body," says Karabin. "They looked for urinary tract infections and throat infections, but never really thought about the mouth until a periodontic researcher looked into it."

Karabin says that severe periodontal disease in the mother may lead to an increase in the risk of premature birth. Remember those cytokines? Turns out they also increase the level of the hormone prostaglandin, which triggers labor, says Karabin. Fortunately, studies show that early treatment of gum disease and improved oral hygiene in women can reduce their risk of premature birth.

Other conditions that indicate a link between dental health and overall health include:

    Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis and tooth loss often go hand in hand because the same decrease in mineral density that boosts the risk of hip and other fractures affects the jawbone and teeth. Measures taken to prevent or treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women are likely to also help prevent severe gum disease, Genco says.
    Rheumatoid arthritis. A study released in June 2008 found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were nearly eight times more likely to have periodontal disease. RA, like periodontal disease, is an inflammatory disorder, which may help explain the link, Karabin says.
    Alzheimers disease. A 2005 study of identical twins showed that in twin pairs where one had dementia and the other didnt, the ones with dementia were four times more likely to have gum disease by midlife. The study doesnt say that good oral heath prevents Alzheimers, but that inflammation early in life can have severe consequences later.

Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body

With the mouth and body so closely linked, dentists and physicians should collaborate more closely, Karabin says. "Physicians need to be trained to examine the mouth, and dentists need to understand more about systemic disease so they can pick up on some of the cues."

The findings also serve to bring home the importance of oral hygiene. Brush twice a day with a toothbrush with soft or medium bristles, Genco says. Clean between your teeth daily with floss, or try some of the interdental picks available at drugstores. If your gums bleed with flossing and dont stop after three to four days, see your dentist