Latest news with #FAPESP
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doing This Just Twice a Week May Help Prevent Dementia, According to Study
Brain health experts agree that maintaining social relationships and keeping a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet like the MIND diet can do wonders to stave off dementia and cognitive decline. Now, new research indicates that doing a relatively simple activity just twice a week may also aid in dementia prevention, and other studies have already shown it can help boost memory almost immediately. 🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊 As it turns out, strength training just twice a week may seriously boost your brain health, especially if you're 60 years old or older. New research published in GeroScienceexamined 44 people with mild cognitive impairment(as in, their cognitive health was somewhat declined beyond what's considered normal for brain aging and a risk factor for Alzheimer's or dementia). Over the course of six months, half of the participants strength-trained with a moderate- to high-intensity, progressive loading program twice a week. (This means, essentially, that the weights involved increased gradually over time as they got stronger.) Results showed that the strength-training participants had improved memory performance, but the positive impacts went even further: Researchers say that after six months of strength training, participants also showed protection against deterioration of the hippocampus and precuneus, two areas of the brain that are closely linked to developing Alzheimer's. They also may have better neuron health, according to the study. "We already knew that there would be physical improvement," lead study author Isadora Cristina Ribeiro, FAPESP doctoral fellowship recipient at State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) School of Medical Sciences (FCM) in São Paulo, Brazil, said in a statement. "Cognitive improvement was also imagined, but we wanted to see the effect of weight training on the brains of older people with mild cognitive impairment. The study showed that, fortunately, weight training is a strong ally against dementia, even for people who are already at high risk of developing it." Related: This Weekly Workout Routine Can Boost Longevity By 31% Since there's no cure for Alzheimer's or dementia yet, anything anyone can do as a means of prevention is really crucial. Additionally, part of what makes this study, as small as it is, important is that dementia and Alzheimer's are notoriously difficult and really expensive to treat, especially if you live somewhere like the United States that doesn't have universal healthcare. What's more, not everyone has access to other means of prevention—think of, for example, people living in food deserts who can't easily obtain or afford whole, fresh moods for a brain-healthy diet. Knowing that most able-bodied individuals can strength train to some degree—even at home with no equipment—and help boost their brain health is huge. Related: 14 Specific Ways You May Be Able to Prevent Dementia, According to Neurologists "As well as neuropsychological tests, we also performed MRI scans at the beginning and end of the study," study supervisor Marcio Balthazar noted. "These results are very important because they indicate the need to include more physical educators in the public health system at the primary health care level since increased muscle strength is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. It's a less complex and cheaper treatment that can protect people from serious diseases." 'For example, the new anti-amyloid drugs approved in the United States indicated for the treatment of dementia and for people with mild cognitive impairment, cost around $30,000 a year. That's a very high cost. These non-pharmacological measures, as we've shown is the case with weight training, are effective, not only in preventing dementia but also in improving mild cognitive impairment." Talk to your doctor before beginning a strength-training regimen to make sure whatever program you start is best for your specific needs—and if you need some motivation to start, check out these easy, two-step resistance exercises and these beginner barbell exercises to strengthen up your whole body. Up Next:
Arab Times
04-03-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
Diabetes breakthrough: Fish oil shown to reverse insulin resistance
NEW YORK, March 4: A Brazilian study published in Nutrients suggests that fish oil may help reduce insulin resistance and improve glucose tolerance by influencing the body's inflammatory response. The study, funded by FAPESP, was conducted on rats exhibiting a condition similar to type 2 diabetes, characterized by high blood sugar levels due to diminished insulin effectiveness. While the rats were not obese, the research focused on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil, on insulin resistance in non-obese subjects—a condition not well understood. The researchers observed that administering 2 grams of fish oil per kilogram of body weight (equivalent to 540 mg/g of eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and 100 mg/g of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA) three times per week for eight weeks reduced insulin resistance in these non-obese rats. Additionally, the rats showed improved blood sugar levels, reduced inflammatory markers, and improvements in lipid features, including total cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), and triglycerides. These results, from preclinical trials, offer hope for non-obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, who make up approximately 10-20% of the global total of people with the condition. 'Our experiments involved Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, an animal model for non-obese type 2 diabetes,' explained Rui Curi, Director of the Butantan Institute's Education Center, Professor at Cruzeiro do Sul University (UNICSUL), and the study coordinator. 'We found that insulin resistance can be reduced in these animals by modulating the inflammatory response, which shifts the profile of defense cells (lymphocytes) from a pro-inflammatory state to an anti-inflammatory state. This process is similar to the effect omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has on obese individuals with insulin resistance.' Alterations in lymphocytes, white blood cells involved in the immune response, influence other immune system cells, triggering a cascade effect. 'Previous studies showed changes in lymphocytes and macrophages in non-obese rats with insulin resistance,' Curi said. 'In these cases, the cells produce more pro-inflammatory cytokines, a pattern also found in obese individuals with diabetes.' The study aimed to determine whether fish oil supplementation could reverse these specific alterations in lymphocytes, which had been observed in earlier research. The findings confirm that inflammation is a key factor in insulin resistance, even in the absence of obesity. Renata Gorjão, the last author of the study and Co-Director of UNICSUL's Program of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, added, 'Our findings provide valuable insights into the link between inflammation and insulin resistance in non-obese animals, confirming that inflammation is a crucial factor in diabetes even without obesity.' The research is part of a larger project supported by FAPESP, focusing on insulin resistance in non-obese animals. While obesity is a significant risk factor for diabetes, the study also highlights that genetic factors and systemic inflammation can contribute to insulin resistance in non-obese individuals. 'Most obese people experience chronic low-level inflammation, which affects insulin signaling pathways. In the non-obese model, this characteristic of adipose tissue is absent, but systemic inflammation is still present,' Curi explained. In a previous study, the group demonstrated systemic inflammation in non-obese GK rats with insulin resistance. Further research found early breakdowns in anti-inflammatory mechanisms in non-obese GK rats, including reductions in regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in lymph nodes. The fish oil supplementation reversed this pro-inflammatory profile, showing significant anti-inflammatory effects and improving the balance of Th1 and Th17 cells (lymphocyte subtypes critical to inflammation). This led to an increase in Tregs, which inhibit pro-inflammatory lymphocytes, ultimately reducing insulin resistance in the rats. Despite promising results, the researchers stress the need for further studies, especially in human trials, to confirm these findings and determine the ideal dose and type of omega-3 fatty acids.
