Day: 08/03/2014

Four foods proven to lower cholesterol and protect the heart

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 71 million Americans, or 33.5 percent of the total population, suffer from high LDL cholesterol. Only one in three of these individuals has their condition under control, while less than half of them choose to treat it at all. Moreover, the average total cholesterol for adult Americans is around 200 mg/dL, which is borderline high risk. (1) We are, in short, at greater risk of heart disease than ever before.

cholesterol
Though doctors love to throw statins and other drugs at people with high cholesterol, an improvement in diet is a far safer and more effective long-term solution to the problem. Most whole foods are likely to reduce LDL and total cholesterol to some degree, but the foods listed below are especially effective in this regard.

Oatmeal

Few foods can beat oatmeal at reducing cholesterol. This traditional breakfast food is packed with soluble fiber which, according to an extensive 19-year study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, can lower cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease. (2) Moreover, oatmeal is rich in a specific kind of soluble fiber called beta-glucan that is particularly good at blocking our bodies’ ability to absorb cholesterol. (3)

Organic, unsweetened oatmeal is easy to purchase online or in health food stores and is best consumed in the morning with milk. Adding some fruit to the oats, such as bananas or strawberries, will boost its fiber content further.

Avocados

Avocados are one of the best fruits to consume for treating high cholesterol. Firstly, they’re packed with oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat which, as a study in the Journal of Lipid Research proved, can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol and lipids in human cells. (4) Secondly, they’re also rich in a plant chemical called beta-sitosterol, which suppresses cholesterol absorption in the intestine. (5)

Though avocados are usually eaten on their own, they’re known to increase the absorption of disease-fighting antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. Therefore, adding them to salads and other meals is a great way to boost nutrient intake.

Fish

Fish has always been regarded as good for the heart, and we now understand why: Its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids are proven to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of blood clots and decrease total and LDL cholesterol. (6) Fish is so beneficial for the cardiovascular system, in fact, that the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of it per week. (7)

The fish richest in omega-3 acids (including EPA and DHA) are salmon, mackerel, tuna, trout, sardines and herring. For obvious reasons, it’s best to avoid fish from the Pacific Ocean these days.

Walnuts

Though they are best-known for improving brain function, walnuts also excel at lowering cholesterol. A review published in The Journal of Nutrition in April 2014, for instance, showed that these hard-shelled nuts could “decrease low density lipoprotein cholesterol (by ~9-16%) and blood pressure (diastolic blood pressure by ~2-3 mm Hg), 2 major risk factors for [cardiovascular disease].” (8) The cholesterol-lowering properties of walnuts are mostly attributed to their high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid, which can lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the bloodstream. (9)

Other nuts rich in beneficial, cholesterol-lowering fats include almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and pecans. Like all fruits, nuts are best eaten raw for maximum benefits.

Sources for this article include:

(1) http://www.cdc.gov

(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(7) http://www.heart.org

(8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(9) https://umm.edu

http://science.naturalnews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/046301_cholesterol_heart_health_functional_foods.html?utm_content=buffer42339&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#ixzz39WyfY6oP

Knowing what to keep and what to trash: How an enzyme distinguishes cellular messages.

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Every once in a while, we are forced to sort that stack of papers on the kitchen counter. Interspersed between the expired coupons and dozens of takeout menus are important documents like your car insurance or electric bill. So it isn’t an option to simply drop it all in the trash at once – you need to read through the messages to be sure that you don’t lose vital information.

In the cell, proteins similarly read through messages to distinguish what needs to be saved and what needs to be discarded. But, here, the process takes on a much more important role. More than just clutter, messages that are marked for disposal can drastically alter the fate of a cell. In fact, stem cells use just such a mechanism to maintain their identity. So how does a detect the difference between two seemingly similar messages? Today, a team of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists, led by Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator Leemor Joshua-Tor, describe how the protein Dis3l2 uses numerous recognition sites to capture messages that are flagged for decay.

Dis3l2 is a molecular machine that helps to preserve the character of stem cells. It serves as the executioner of an elegant pathway that prevents from changing into other cell types. The protein does this by acting like a garbage disposal for messages in the cell, cutting them up until they no longer encode useful information. But Dis3l2 is necessarily highly specific. While it must degrade messages that would alter the fate of the stem cell, discarding the wrong message could have devastating consequences.

Therefore, Dis3l2 only targets specific messages that have been marked with a molecular flag, known as a “poly-U” chain. The enzyme ignores the majority of messages in the cell – those that go on to encode proteins and other critical messages – whose ends are decorated with a different type of chain, called “poly-A” tail.

The CSHL scientists set out to understand how Dis3l2 is able to read and distinguish between these two chains. In work published today in Nature, they used a type of molecular photography, known as X-ray crystallography, to observe the structure of Dis3l2 while bound to a poly-U chain. “We saw that the enzyme looks a lot like funnel, quite wide at the top and narrow at the base,” says Joshua-Tor. “The poly-U chain inserts itself into the depths of this funnel while the rest of the bulky message can remain in the wide mouth at the top.”

But how does the enzyme “read” the poly-U chain? Christopher Faehnle, PhD and Jack Walleshauser, lead authors on the paper, found that the interior of the funnel contains more than a dozen contacts that interact specifically with the poly-U chain. “Together, all of these points create a sticky web that holds the poly-U sequence deep within the enzyme,” says Faehnle. “But other chains don’t interact – they can slide right out. It has helped us understand how an enzyme can differentiate between two sequences in the cell.”

More than that, the work provides insight into how a stem cell maintains its identity. “Misregulation of any step in this pathway leads to developmental disorders and cancer,” says Joshua-Tor. “We now have a much better appreciation of the terminal step, a critical point of control.”

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

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The current Ebola outbreak is centered on three countries in West Africa: Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, although there is the potential for further spread to neighboring African countries. Ebola does not pose a significant risk to the U.S. public. The CDC is surging resources by sending 50 more workers to the area to help bring the outbreak under control.

What is Ebola?

Ebola virus is the cause of a viral hemorrhagic fever disease. Symptoms include: fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, lack of appetite, and abnormal bleeding. Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to ebolavirus though 8-10 days is most common.

How is Ebola transmitted?

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected symptomatic person or though exposure to objects (such as needles) that have been contaminated with infected secretions.

Can Ebola be transmitted through the air?

No. Ebola is not a respiratory disease like the flu, so it is not transmitted through the air.

Can I get Ebola from contaminated food or water?

No. Ebola is not a food-borne illness.  It is not a water-borne illness.

Can I get Ebola from a person who is infected but doesn’t have any symptoms?

No. Individuals who are not symptomatic are not contagious. In order for the virus to be transmitted, an individual would have to have direct contact with an individual who is experiencing symptoms.

Q: Are there any cases of individuals contracting Ebola in the U.S.?

No.

What is being done to prevent ill passengers in West Africa from getting on a plane?

CDC is assisting with active screening and education efforts on the ground in West Africa to prevent sick travelers from getting on planes. In addition, airports in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are screening all outbound passengers for Ebola symptoms, including fever, and passengers are required to respond to a healthcare questionnaire.  CDC is also surging support in the region by deploying 50 additional workers to help build capacity on the ground.

What is CDC doing in the U.S.?

On the remote possibility that an ill passenger enters the U.S., CDC has protocols in place to protect against further spread of disease. These include notification to CDC of ill passengers on a plane before arrival, investigation of ill travelers, and, if necessary, isolation. CDC has also provided guidance to airlines for managing ill passengers and crew and for disinfecting aircraft. CDC has issued a Health Alert Notice reminding U.S. healthcare workers of the importance of taking steps to prevent the spread of this virus, how to test and isolate suspected patients and how they can protect themselves from infection.

What about ill Americans with Ebola who are being brought to the U.S. for treatment? How is CDC protecting the American public?

CDC has very well-established protocols in place to ensure the safe transport and care of patients with infectious diseases back to the United States. These procedures cover the entire process — from patients leaving their bedside in a foreign country to their transport to an airport and boarding a non-commercial airplane equipped with a special transport isolation unit, to their arrival at a medical facility in the United States that is appropriately equipped and staffed to handle such cases. CDC’s role is to ensure that travel and hospitalization is done to minimize risk of spread of infection and to ensure that the American public is protected. Patients were evacuated in similar ways during SARS.

What does the CDC’s Travel Alert Level 3 mean to U.S. travelers?

On July 31, the CDC elevated their warning to U.S. citizens encouraging them to defer unnecessary travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone over concerns that travelers may not have access to health care facilities and personnel should they need them in country.

Clues to curbing obesity found in neuronal ‘sweet spot’ .

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Preventing weight gain, obesity, and ultimately diabetes could be as simple as keeping a nuclear receptor from being activated in a small part of the brain, according to a new study.
Preventing weight gain, obesity, and ultimately diabetes could be as simple as keeping a nuclear receptor from being activated in a small part of the brain, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.
Preventing weight gain, obesity, and ultimately diabetes could be as simple as keeping a nuclear receptor from being activated in a small part of the brain, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.

Published in the Aug. 1 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), the study showed that when the researchers blocked the effects of the nuclear receptor PPARgamma in a small number of brain cells in mice, the animals ate less and became resistant to a high-fat diet.

“These animals ate fat and sugar, and did not gain weight, while their control littermates did,” said lead author Sabrina Diano, professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. “We showed that the PPARgamma receptor in neurons that produce POMC could control responses to a high-fat diet without resulting in obesity.”

POMC neurons are found in the hypothalamus and regulate food intake. They are the neurons that when activated make you feel full and curb appetite. PPARgamma regulates the activation of these neurons.

Diano and her team studied transgenic mice that were genetically engineered to delete the PPARgamma receptor from POMC neurons. They wanted to see if they could prevent the obesity associated with a high-fat, high-sugar diet.

“When we blocked PPARgamma in these hypothalamic cells, we found an increased level of free radical formation in POMC neurons, and they were more active,” said Diano, who is also professor of comparative medicine and neurobiology at Yale and director of the Reproductive Neurosciences Group.

The findings also have key implications in diabetes. PPARgamma is a target of thiazolidinedione (TZD), a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes. They lower blood-glucose levels, however, patients gain weight on these medications.

“Our study suggests that the increased weight gain in diabetic patients treated with TZD could be due to the effect of this drug in the brain, therefore, targeting peripheral PPARgamma to treat type 2 diabetes should be done by developing TZD compounds that can’t penetrate the brain,” said Diano. “We could keep the benefits of TZD without the side-effects of weight gain. Our next steps in this research are to test this theory in diabetes mouse models.”

Other Yale authors on the study included Lihong Long, Chitoku Toda, Jin Kwon Jeong, and Tamas Horvath.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (RO1DK097566)

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Yale University. The original article was written by Karen N. Peart. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

  1. Lihong Long, Chitoku Toda, Jing Kwon Jeong, Tamas L. Horvath, Sabrina Diano.PPARγ ablation sensitizes proopiomelanocortin neurons to leptin during high-fat feeding. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2014; DOI: 10.1172/JCI76220

Elon Musk: AI could be more dangerous than nukes.

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The entrepreneur has used technology to reshape payments, electric cars and space travel, but he’s still really worried about what could happen if tech gets super-smart.

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A leading futurist worries about a future of super smart machines.Kevin Lynch/Disney

Elon Musk thinks solar power and electric cars are the future, and that we should get to work building humanity’s second home on Mars as soon as possible. But the billionaire techno-optimist continues to speak out about what he sees as the dangers of a future filled with super-intelligent machines.

On Saturday Musk posted this tweet, recommending an upcoming book that examines such a future, adding “We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.”
This isn’t the first time Musk has voiced his apprehension about artificial intelligence, which other notable futurists like Google’s Ray Kurzweil see in a much more positive, even romantic light. Back in June, Musk said on CNBC that he seriously considers the possibility of a ‘Terminator”-like scenario actually coming to pass, and that he’s even invested in AI companies to keep on eye on where the technology is headed.

  • Of course, if you read a little deeper into the writing catalog of Nick Bostrom, the author whose book Musk recommends in his tweet, you’ll discover his concerns could be a moot point. Back in 2003, Bostrom published a paper arguing the odds are pretty good that we’re actually living in a computer simulation, and scientists have recently begun to search for “signatures” that show our world is not quite as real as we’d like to think.

So yes, perhaps Elon, the driving force behind Tesla Motors and SpaceX, is right and we should be more worried about artificial intelligence, unless of course, we are also artificially intelligent. If that’s the case then we need to… Hold on, I’m going to need to re-watch “Tron” and get back to you guys on this one.