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Medscape
04-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Adapting Diet to Chronotype Boosts Weight Loss, Gut Health
Among patients with overweight/obesity, a diet adapted to an individual's chronotype was more effective in promoting weight loss and improving cardiometabolic health and gut microbiota (GM) than a conventional low-calorie diet. 'Emerging evidence suggests that aligning dietary patterns with an individual's circadian rhythm, or chronotype, may optimize metabolic processes and gut microbiota (GM) composition and function,' the study authors wrote. 'Given the burden of obesity, a chronotype-adapted diet — aligning meal timing with biological rhythms — could be an innovative approach to weight management.' The study, presented at NUTRITION 2025 in Orlando, Florida, showed that, overall, fat percentages decreased significantly in the intervention group, while the control group showed no significant change. In addition, a GM analysis revealed greater production of anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intervention group than in the control group. For clinicians, considering a patient's chronotype during dietary counseling would be 'a practical and feasible starting point,' principal author Monica Dinu, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Florence, Florence, Italy, told Medscape Medical News . 'This can be done easily with a simple [tool] like the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ).' Aligning Meals With Chronotype Researchers conducted a 4-month, open-label, randomized controlled trial. A total of 140 adults with overweight/obesity were assigned to either a chronotype-adapted, low-calorie diet with meal timing tailored to their metabolic peaks (morning vs evening chronotype) or a standardized low-calorie eating plan. Chronotype was determined using the MEQ, which offers 'a practical, noninvasive method that can be easily applied in both research and ambulatory settings,' Dinu noted. The team did not impose strict time windows for meals, she said. 'Rather, the intervention was based on the distribution of energy intake throughout the day. Morning chronotypes consumed approximately 80% of their daily energy intake in the earlier part of the day (including lunch), whereas evening chronotypes consumed the majority in the later part (also including lunch).' 'The dietary intervention adhered to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, and we did not recommend any fasting periods,' she added. 'Our focus was on aligning meal timing with individual chronotype rather than restricting eating windows.' Both diets had an equivalent daily calorie content, adjusted according to gender and starting weight. The primary outcome was weight change. Secondary outcomes were changes in body composition, biochemical markers, GM composition, and SCFAs. Which Chronotype Worked Better? A total of 117 participants (84%; mean age 49 years) completed the study (57 in the intervention group and 60 in the control group). While participants in both intervention groups experienced significant weight loss, reductions were greater in evening chronotypes (−3.7 kg) than in morning chronotypes (−3.2 kg) and control participants (−2.5 kg). Fat mass percentages decreased significantly in the intervention groups (−2.8% in evening and −1.6% in morning chronotypes), whereas the control group showed no significant change (−0.5%). Both the intervention groups showed reductions in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, but only morning chronotypes showed a significant decrease in glucose levels (−2.9 mg/dL). A GM analysis revealed enrichment of SCFA-producing bacteria, such as Clostridiales vadin BB60 , and a reduction in Nitrososphaeraceae in the intervention groups, accompanied by an increased production of anti-inflammatory SCFAs compared with the control group: Isobutyric acid, +0.42% vs −0.25%; 2-methylbutyric acid, +0.43% vs −0.44%). The team concluded that a chronotype-adapted diet may be more effective than a standard low-calorie diet in improving body composition, metabolic risk profile, and GM in individuals with overweight/obesity — particularly among evening chronotypes. 'Evening chronotypes also experienced greater weight loss and reported reduced hunger despite consuming more calories later in the day, a timing typically discouraged,' Dinu noted. 'For individuals with an evening chronotype, adjusting the distribution of energy intake to better match their biological rhythms may lead to more effective and sustainable weight management,' she added. 'While further research is needed, these findings support the potential of chronotype-based strategies as part of a personalized approach to dietary intervention.' The research received no specific grant. No conflicts of interest were declared.
Int'l Business Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Romania Presidential Election Re-run Under Trump Shadow
Five months after the shock scrapping of presidential elections, Romanians go back to the polls on Sunday -- with a key far-right contender excluded and criticism by the US administration looming over the tense vote. Thousands in Romania have protested against the vote annulment and subsequent barring of European Union and NATO critic Calin Georgescu, who topped the first round of voting in November before it was annulled. The moves -- following claims of Russian meddling and a "massive" social media promotion of Georgescu -- have also drawn the ire of senior officials in US President Donald Trump's administration, with Vice President JD Vance and advisor Elon Musk chastising the eastern European country. Eleven contenders are in the May 4 re-run with the far-right expected to enter a second round on May 18 in a tight battle. The campaign has been stirred up by "indirect pressure" fuelled by US officials' comments, Sorina Soare, a political scientist at the University of Florence, told AFP. With the NATO member hosting more than 1,700 US troops, Romania "cannot afford to enter into confrontation with its American ally over economic and security issues", she said. Vance criticised the vote annulment "based on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbours". "If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn't very strong to begin with," he said. Tycoon Musk has also intervened repeatedly on his social network X to criticise the decisions of the Romanian authorities. Several of the candidates have expressed their admiration for Trump or touted their ties to him. Soare noted a "zeitgeist very influenced by Washington politics, with an almost complete migration of all candidates to traditional conservative themes". George Simion, leader of the far-right party AUR who is expected to win the first round, is an avowed Trump fan often wearing a cap with his idol's name or the slogan "Make America Great Again" on it. After the Brussels critic, 38, came fourth in the November 24 first round, he threw his support behind Georgescu, who has also said he is "ultra pro" Trump. With Georgescu barred, Simion -- who continues to defend his former rival -- is expected to take up at least part of his votes. Former Social Democrats prime minister Victor Ponta has also boasted -- holding a red cap in hand -- of being invited to Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in December. But weakened by controversial statements during the campaign, he seems to have lost ground to two pro-European candidates: Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan and the ruling coalition's candidate Crin Antonescu. One of these two is expected to reach the second round to face off against Simion, who is currently tipped to lose that round -- though the gap is narrowing, according to polls. A "very large number of undecided voters" and a large European diaspora seen as favourable to the far-right factor in to make the race tight, according to Soare. While the post is largely ceremonial, the president holds an influential role in foreign policy, and the election in the NATO member bordering war-torn Ukraine is being closely watched abroad. The vote "is important especially in the context of the cancelled elections. All that tension is still being felt now," Diana Maftei, a 24-year-old accountant, told AFP in the streets of the capital Bucharest. Her partner Bogdan Badaluta, 27, a digital artist, said he is relieved that Georgescu has been sidelined. "We're two young people trying to build a future, and you find yourself realising suddenly everything you worked for might be lost," he said, adding the new elections gave them fresh "hope". Others remain disillusioned in one of Europe's poorest nations burdened with high inflation and with a political class seen as corrupt. Smaranda Tache, a 68-year-old retiree, said she would not vote on Sunday, saying "whoever wins is pretty much the same". "They're fighting for themselves. All this masquerade... There is nothing for us," she said. "It's always the same thing. The country doesn't get better so that you can see some change. Not at all." Far-right leader George Simion is expected to win the first round AFP Analysts predict a tight race AFP
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Discovered a 1,700-Year-Old Statue of Hercules—Without His Head
Archaeologists discovered a 1,700-year-old 20-inch statue of Hercules in Florence, Italy. A student with a pickaxe discovered the miniature marble statue in three fragments. The fragments all fit together, allowing the statue to piece together, minus that pesky head, of course. Archaeologists excavating a private property in Florence, Italy, discovered a 20-inch statue of Hercules missing its head, though not altogether headless. Despite no cranium on the Greek hero, the statue included details from Hercules' mythic 12 labors, including the skin of the Nemean lion and the severed head of the Cretan bull. Archaeologists from Valdelsa Fiorentina and the University of Florence discovered the statue in the town of Montaione in the province of Florence and has been dubbed the Hercules of Valdelsa. 'It's a discovery that excites us and reminds us how archaeology constantly surprises us with new objects and insights,' Antonella Ranaldi, superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Florence, said in a statement provided by Cornell University. The professional archaeologists got an assist from archaeology majors from Cornell, including senior Alexander Cooper-Bohler. 'Thankfully, I noticed the strange shape of the statue's abdomen before my pick could cleave it in half,' Cooper-Bohler said. 'I spent the rest of the day carefully removing the dirt from around the statue with dental tools. It is the first statue found in over a decade of excavations at the site and made the weeks of digging in the hot Tuscan summer worth it!' The statue was dated to between the middle and late Imperial age from the third to fourth centuries, A.D., according to a translated report from Italian media, making it a roughly 1,700 find. The diminutive statue depicts a nude Hercules leaning to his right on his club, adorned with the trophies from his labors. According to Greek mythology, the Oracle of Delphi advised Hercules to travel to Tiryns to serve his cousin, King Eurystheus of Mycenae, for 12 years, for which he would be rewarded with immortality. In addition to the two beasts included on the statue, other labors included retrieving a golden apple from the edge of the world, capturing the multi-headed dog Cerberus, cleaning the stables of King Augeas, and more. Hercules was often depicted with the Nemean lion skin in statues and art, along with a variety of his unique weapons, but experts said finding art showing him capturing the bull is rare. 'The statuette is nearly complete, made of three fitting pieces,' Ranaldi said, 'and the bull at Hercules' feet is an unusual and fascinating detail.' 'Uncovering this statue reminded me of one of the things that drew me to archaeology in the first place,' said Cooper-Bohler, 'which is the thrill of discovery and the excitement of never knowing what you'll find.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
The Independent
15-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Florence, Pisa on flood alert as heavy rain closes museums and roads
Heavy rainfall across Italy's Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions has triggered flood warnings, prompting school closures and evacuations. Several major rivers surpassed alert levels on Friday, raising concerns of widespread flooding. In Tuscany, schools in several cities, including Florence, were closed, as red alerts were issued. Several campuses of the University of Florence were also shut. The city also saw the closure of museums, cinemas, and theatres as a precautionary measure. The A1 motorway was partially closed and Florence's residents warned not to travel as fallen trees and floodwater blocked roads. Authorities closely monitored the Arno River, which flows through Florence and Pisa, anticipating it to crest later on Friday. Regional governor Eugenio Giani reported a particularly critical situation in Sesto Fiorentino, near Florence, where the Rimaggio stream overflowed, inundating streets. The national fire brigade said it had received dozens of calls for help after that incident. Local media reported that a family of four was rescued from a landslide in the town of Badia Prataglia, on the edge of the Casentino valley. Florence saw 53mm of rain fall on Friday morning – more than its average March rainfall in just six hours. It came after 36mm fell overnight. Emilia-Romagna also experienced intense rainfall, impacting Forlì, Ravenna, Bologna, and Ferrara. Rivers in the Apennine mountains swelled above alert levels. In Bologna, authorities ordered evacuations from the ground floor of buildings on Thursday in anticipation of potential flooding. The Emila-Romagna region has been particularly hard hit by extreme weather in recent years, with devastating floods in the past two years causing significant loss of life and damage to agricultural businesses. In 2023, 13 people died after six months' worth of rain fell in 36 hours. There were nearly 300 landslides and 20 rivers burst their banks. In September 2024, Storm Boris saw more than 1,000 people evacuated from their homes.
Gulf Today
03-03-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Pope 'stable' after 'calm night': Vatican
Pope Francis, who has been in hospital for more than two weeks with double pneumonia, is in a "stable" condition after spending a "calm night", the Vatican said on Sunday. "The pope is still resting," the Holy See said in its latest health update on the 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church. On Saturday evening, it said the pope was still receiving oxygen, but had no fever, had been eating, was alert and praying. His haemodynamic parameters -- those relating to the flow of blood -- were also stable, and he did not have the high white-blood-cell count that often indicates an infection, the Vatican said, adding that the prognosis, as in previous days, remained "reserved". Francis, leader of the world's almost 1.4 billion Catholics, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 with bronchitis that soon developed into pneumonia in both lungs. Last weekend, the Vatican reported he was in a "critical" condition, suffering a major respiratory attack and requiring blood transfusions, prompting widespread concern. After a series of incremental improvements, there was more alarming news on Friday when the Vatican said Francis "presented an isolated crisis of bronchospasm which led to an episode of vomiting with inhalation and a sudden worsening of the respiratory picture". "It will take doctors 24 to 48 hours to evaluate the impact" of Friday's breathing crisis, a Vatican source said. Andrea Ungar, professor of geriatrics at the University of Florence, told AFP on Saturday that it appeared vomit had entered the pope's lungs, which "aggravated the pneumonia". Such an issue normally required a strengthening of antibiotics, ventilation and respiratory exercises, he said. He also agreed that the first 24 to 48 hours after an incident were crucial, adding the pontiff would likely stay in hospital for some time -- "at least 10 days" in the most optimistic scenario. Agence France-Presse
