The Gary Null Show Notes - 03.30.22

Global diets are harming human and planetary health

 

University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Harvard School of Public Health, March 29, 2022

 

A global diet that increasingly includes ultra-processed foods is having a negative impact on the diversity of plant species available for human consumption while also damaging human and planetary health, according to a commentary published in the journal BMJ Global Health. Ultra-processed foods such as sweetened or salty snacks, soft drinks, instant noodles, reconstituted meat products, pre-prepared pizza and pasta dishes, biscuits and confectionery, are made by assembling food substances, mostly commodity ingredients, and 'cosmetic' additives (notably flavors, colors and emulsifiers) through a series of industrial processes. These products are the basis of a 'globalized diet' and are becoming dominant in the global food supply, with sales and consumption growing in all regions and almost all countries. Currently, their consumption is growing fastest in upper-middle-income and lower-middle income countries.

 

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People with fibromyalgia are substituting CBD for opioids to manage pain

 

The cannabis-derived substance provides fewer side effects, with less potential for abuse

University of Michigan, March 24, 2022

 

As the ravages of the opioid epidemic lead many to avoid these powerful painkillers, a significant number of people with fibromyalgia are finding an effective replacement in CBD-containing products, finds a new Michigan Medicine study. Previous research shows that some people substitute medical cannabis (often with high concentrations of THC) for opioids and other pain medications, reporting that cannabis provides better pain relief and fewer side effects. Kevin Boehnke, Ph.D., a research investigator in the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center surveyed people with fibromyalgia about their use of CBD for treatment of chronic pain. The U-M team found that more than 70% of people with fibromyalgia who used CBD substituted CBD for opioids or other pain medications. Of these participants, many reported that they either decreased use or stopped taking opioids and other pain medications as a result.

 

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Sleep Increases Chromosome Dynamics that Clear Out DNA Damage Accumulated During Waking Hours

 

Bar-Ilan University (Israel), 03-28-22

 

In a new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israelbreveal a novel and unexpected function of sleep that they believe could explain how sleep and sleep disturbances affect brain performance, aging, and various brain disorders. Using 3D time-lapse imaging techniques in live zebrafish, the researchers were able to define sleep in a single chromosome resolution and show that single neurons require sleep to perform nuclear maintenance. DNA damage can be caused by many processes including radiation, oxidative stress, and even neuronal activity. DNA repair systems within each cell correct this damage. The current work shows that during wakefulness, when chromosome dynamics are low, DNA damage consistently accumulates and can reach unsafe levels. The role of sleep is to increase chromosome dynamics, and normalize the levels of DNA damage in each single neuron. Apparently, this DNA maintenance process is not efficient enough during the online wakefulness period and requires an offline sleep period with reduced input to the brain in order to occur. Their discovery was achieved thanks to the characteristics of the zebrafish model. With their absolute transparency, and a brain very similar to humans, zebrafish are a perfect organism in which to study single cell within a live animal under physiological conditions. Using a high resolution microscope, the movement of DNA and nuclear proteins within the cell—inside the fish—can be observed while the fish are awake and asleep. The researchers were particularly surprised to find that chromosomes are more active at night, when the body rests, but this increased activity enables the efficiency of the repair to DNA damage.

 

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Tai chi can mirror healthy benefits of conventional exercise

 

University of Hong Kong and University of California at Los Angeles, March 21, 2022

 

A new study shows that tai chi mirrors the beneficial effects of conventional exercise by reducing waist circumference in middle-aged and older adults with central obesity. Central obesity is a major manifestation of metabolic syndrome, broadly defined as a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors, including central obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, and high blood pressure, that all increase risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 543 participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to a control group with no exercise intervention (n= 181), conventional exercise consisting of aerobic exercise and strength training (EX group) (n= 181), and a tai chi group (TC group) (n= 181). Interventions lasted 12 weeks.

 

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Improvement of vitamin D levels linked to longer life

 

Second Medical Centre & National Clinical Research Centre (China), March 28 2022.

 

The investigation included 1,362 participants aged 60 to 113 who had their serum vitamin D levels measured in 2012 and 2014. Mortality data was collected in 2018. Deficient vitamin D levels of less than 20 ng/mL were detected among 67.5% of the participants in 2012 and 68.4% in 2014. During follow-up, 420 deaths occurred. Men and women who were deficient in vitamin D in 2012 and 2014 had a 2.33 times greater risk of mortality than those who maintained nondeficient levels. Among participants who maintained sufficient vitamin D or were deficient in 2012 and not deficient in 2014, the risk of dying was 30% and 53% lower than participants who were deficient at both time points. Women and participants who among the oldest old at 80 years of age or older experienced the greatest benefit.