Broccoli may beneficially affect microbiota diversity: Study
University of Illinois
Consuming broccoli may change the diversity and composition of the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract, says a new study.
Two hundred grams per day of broccoli for 17 days resulted in 37% increase in the proportion of Bacteroidetes relative to Firmicutes, according to data presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago this week by scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, ARS-USDA, and the National Cancer Institute.
“These novel results reveal that broccoli consumption affects the diversity and composition of the GI microbiota of healthy adults,” they wrote in the FASEB Journal . “These data help fill the gap in knowledge related to the role of bacterial hydrolysis of phytonutrients.
“The increase in Bacteroides spp. is particularly relevant because Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron has been shown in vitro to utilize glucosinolates.”
Acupuncture possible treatment for dental anxiety
University of York
Researchers have found evidence that acupuncture could help people who experience dental anxiety.
Dental anxiety affects up to an estimated 30% of the adult population in countries world-wide. Patients can experience nausea, difficulty breathing and dizziness at the thought of going to the dentist, during an examination, and following treatment.
In a review of six trials with 800 patients, researchers used a points scale to measure anxiety and studies show that anxiety reduced by eight points when dental patients were given acupuncture as a treatment. This level of reduction is considered to be clinically relevant, which means that acupuncture could be a possibility for tackling dental anxiety.
Studies that compared anxiety levels between patients that received acupuncture and those that did not, showed a significant difference in anxiety scores during dental treatment. A clinically relevant reduction in anxiety was found when acupuncture was compared with not receiving acupuncture.
Omega-3 may help protect against adverse cardiovascular effects of pollution
Case Western University
An article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported a protective effect for supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids against some of the harmful cardiovascular effects of exposure to air pollution in China.
The randomized, double-blinded trial included 65 healthy college students in Shanghai, China who received 2.5 grams fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids or a placebo daily. During the last two months of the trial, the subjects participated in four health examinations that included blood pressure assessment and measurement of blood markers of inflammation, coagulation, endothelial function, oxidative stress, antioxidant activity, cardiometabolism and neuroendocrine stress response.
Campus levels of fine particulate matter air pollution (PM 2.5) measured during the course of the trial averaged 38 micrograms per cubic meter. The researchers observed greater stability of most biomarker levels in responses to changes in fine particulate matter exposure in the fish oil-treated group in comparison with the placebo group. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation was associated with beneficial effects for five blood biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, endothelial function, oxidative stress, and neuroendocrine stress response.
