Hunger: Why Can't We Turn it Off?

            It is now generally recognized that hunger is not turned off after a specific amount of calories. A recent study demonstrated that there is no link between appetite and calorie intake. Lead research Dr. Bernard Corfe from the Molecular Gastroenterology Research Group at Sheffield and his team reviewed 462 studies examining the association between perceived appetite and energy intake and found that less than 5 % of these studies found a true statistical correlation between the two variables. So what exactly does this mean? Well, essentially, if you feel you are so hungry that you can eat a whole horse, you’re probably not going to. Hormones are what modulate hunger. Hormones are friendly little chemicals released in the body that run our life. What happens is that hormones are released from the stomach when it is empty, and this tells us that its time to eat again. It’s kind of like having an internal gas light that tells us when to fill up the car. The authors of this study warn consumers to not be be fooled by the food industry into thinking that eating certain prepackaged meals will make you not hungry. Remember, hunger is hormonally driven, and we can’t control this. Rather than buying special meals, why not consume a varied, pigmented diet and let the hormones tell you when you’re hungry and full? Let’s stop planning our meals around our “busy” lives, and plan our lives around our wonderful meals with the people we care about.

See the full article at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313620.php

Exercise: Shedding Fat with Hormones

            In 2012 the Harvard Medical School discovered a hormone known as irisin. What was interesting about this hormone is that it released from the muscle tissues during exercise, and can impact genes that convert white fat, which you don’t “burn” it off as well, into more metabolically active brown fat. Irisin production surges when the heart and other muscle tissues are exerted, so essentially any form of exercise can trigger the release of irisin. Additionally fat cell formation, or adipogenesis, is believed to be suppressed by irisin, so this hormone is being looked at for treatment and prevention of diabetes and obesity. You’ve heard that exercise is “good” for you, and that you burn calories and lose fat, but now you understand that irisin is swimming around your blood stream doing the real work for you.

See the full article at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313228.php

Who's Calling The Shots?

If you’re ever lonely just remind yourself that you have 40 trillion tiny little friends in low places. The low places I’m speaking of are the intestines. The complex relationship shared between the body and the 40 trillion bacterial cells sheltered in the intestines is of great interest even to psychologists now who speculate that disorders such as autism, depression, memory and obsessive-compulsive disorder may be related the gut microbes. So, it poses the question: who’s really calling the shots, the microbes, or the mind? The brain and microbes cross paths at the brain-gut-enteric microbiota axis, or the microbiome-gut-brain axis. Here microbes are believed to interact with nerves to impact hormones, and the hormones, as you may know, can contribute to a chemical imbalance that result in depression and other hormone-related issues. More research is needed in this topic, but the understanding is that altering the levels of gut microorganisms may alter out mood, behaviors, and memory.

See the full article at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312734.php

Give Me Some Sugar, Better Yet, Some Brazzein

Calorie-free or low-calorie sweeteners have become increasingly popular due to new attitudes regarding sugar. We’ve all seen the yellow, pink, and white sugar packets and an array of different sugars in the baking isle, but a new protein may begin to gain popularity as a low calorie sweetener – brazzein. Brazzein is a fruit protein derived from West African fruit, but the reason you don’t hear about it is because the isolation of brazzein is very difficult. There is a new approach, however, that utilizes yeast to over produce specific proteins that are involved in the formation of brazzein. This approach was done by a specific yeast species where 2.6 times more brazzein was produced and, according to a taste panel, the product was over 2000 times sweeter than traditional sugar. This is very useful research for nutritionists, food chemists, biologists and those in the food industry and it is only the beginning of brazzein.

See the full article at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/312409.php

The Anorexia of Aging Debunked

            The phrase “anorexia of aging” refers to the decreased appetite experienced by older adults, and is common among 15-20 % of the elderly. A decreased appetite may sound like a good thing to some, but the unintentional weight loss may be especially detrimental to the health of seniors. Previously, it was believed that the anorexia of aging was due to a decrease in the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates the feeling of hunger, but new research suggests the appetite reduction may stem from an increase in a satiety (fullness) hormone peptide YY. In this study older adults demonstrated a greater production of PYY compared to a younger age group, while the levels of GLP-1 and ghrelin remained similar between the two groups. Based on this study, it can be hypothesized that greater levels of PYY contribute to undernutrition and weight loss among older adults. Knowing which hormone to target can potentially be useful in treating, or managing the anorexia of aging.

See the full article at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312190.php

College Linemen Heavier than Ever!

            A recent study has shown that college linemen, even in a lower division, are larger than ever with weights 38 % greater than their 1956 counterpart, according to Tufts University. This is a potential issue for the athletes after their career has ended. Tufts University professor Dr. David Greenblatt released a statement that American football should develop ways for players to integrate back into a normal lifestyle after their football career is over. The big push on being “bigger, faster and stronger” among athletes at all ages has lead to hyper-nutrition and larger linemen as a potential result (other positions not so much). It is important for these athletes to be aware of the health risks associated with carrying that much weight later on down the road.

See the full article at: https://consumer.healthday.com/fitness-information-14/football-health-news-250/college-lineman-are-getting-heavier-712845.html