Eating one rasher of bacon a day increases your chance of getting dementia by 44%, study into dangers of processed meats suggests

The heading above is misleading. The Hazard Ratios were all very low, indication a most tenous relationship between diet and dementia. The results allow for their being no real relationship at all

Eating processed meat such as sausages, bacon and burgers could dramatically increase the risk of getting dementia, new research shows.

The findings suggest that eating just one rasher of bacon a day could increase your chances of developing the disease by a staggering 44 per cent.

However meat-lovers need not despair, as scientists conducting the study also found that eating some unprocessed meat including beef, pork and veal can protect against dementia.

In the study, people who ate 50g a day of unprocessed meat were almost 20 per cent less likely to develop the condition.

The research, by Leeds University, explored a potential link between eating meat and developing dementia using data from 500,000 people.

Professor Janet Cade, who supervised the research, said: 'Anything we can do to explore potential risk factors for dementia may help us to reduce rates of this debilitating condition.

'This analysis is a first step towards understanding whether what we eat could influence that risk.'

Researchers investigated links between eating different types of meat and dementia risk.

The team studied data from the UK Biobank database containing genetic and health information from half a million Brits aged 40 to 69 between 2006 and 2010.

This included how often people snacked on different kinds of meat, with six options from never to once or more daily.

Vegetarian and vegan diets were not looked at specially but the study did include people who avoided red meat.

Over an average of eight years, almost 2,900 dementia cases emerged.

This was seen in people who were generally older, more economically deprived, less educated, more likely to smoke, less physically active, more likely to have stroke history and family dementia history, and more likely to carry a dementia-related gene.

More men than women were diagnosed with dementia in the study.

Professor Cade said: 'Some people were three to six times more likely to develop dementia due to well established genetic factors, but the findings suggest the risks from eating processed meat were the same whether or not a person was genetically predisposed to developing the disease.

'Those who consumed higher amounts of processed meat were more likely to be male, less educated, smokers, overweight or obese, had lower intakes of vegetables and fruits, and had higher intakes of energy, protein, and fat including saturated fat.'

Meat consumption has previously been associated with dementia risk, but this is believed to be the first large-scale study of participants over time to examine a link between specific meat types and amounts, and the risk of developing the disease.

Lead researcher Huifeng Zhang, a PhD student at the University of Leeds, said: 'Worldwide, the prevalence of dementia is increasing and diet as a modifiable factor could play a role.

'Our research adds to the growing body of evidence linking processed meat consumption to increased risk of a range of non-transmissible diseases.'

There are around 50 million dementia cases globally, with around ten million new cases diagnosed every year.

Alzheimer's Disease makes up 50 per cent to 70 per cent of cases, and vascular dementia around 25 per cent.

Its development and progression are associated with both genetic and environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle.

Ms Zhang added: 'Further confirmation is needed, but the direction of effect is linked to current healthy eating guidelines suggesting lower intakes of unprocessed red meat could be beneficial for health.'

The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Monday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9387307/Eating-one-rasher-bacon-day-increases-chance-getting-dementia-44-study-suggests.html

The abstract

Meat consumption and risk of incident dementia: cohort study of 493,888 UK Biobank participants

Huifeng Zhang

ABSTRACT

Background
Worldwide, the prevalence of dementia is increasing and diet as a modifiable factor could play a role. Meat consumption has been cross-sectionally associated with dementia risk, but specific amounts and types related to risk of incident dementia remain poorly understood.

Objective
We aimed to investigate associations between meat consumption and risk of incident dementia in the UK Biobank cohort.

Methods
Meat consumption was estimated using a short dietary questionnaire at recruitment and repeated 24-h dietary assessments. Incident all-cause dementia comprising Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD) was identified by electronic linkages to hospital and mortality records. HRs for each meat type in relation to each dementia outcome were estimated in Cox proportional hazard models. Interactions between meat consumption and the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele were additionally explored.

Results
Among 493,888 participants included, 2896 incident cases of all-cause dementia, 1006 cases of AD, and 490 cases of VD were identified, with mean ± SD follow-up of 8 ± 1.1 y. Each additional 25 g/day intake of processed meat was associated with increased risks of incident all-cause dementia (HR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.24, 1.67; P-trend < 0.001) and AD (HR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.96; P-trend = 0.001). In contrast, a 50-g/d increment in unprocessed red meat intake was associated with reduced risks of all-cause dementia (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.95; P-trend = 0.011) and AD (HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.92; P-trend = 0.009). The linear trend was not significant for unprocessed poultry and total meat. Regarding incident VD, there were no statistically significant linear trends identified, although for processed meat, higher consumption categories were associated with increased risks. The APOE ε4 allele increased dementia risk by 3 to 6 times but did not modify the associations with diet significantly.

Conclusion
These findings highlight processed-meat consumption as a potential risk factor for incident dementia, independent of the APOE ε4 allele.

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Vitamin D not helpful with COVID

There are a number of drug and supplement treatments that are said to help with COVID.  Vitamin D can now be crossed off the list

Effect of a Single High Dose of Vitamin D3 on Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Moderate to Severe COVID-19, A Randomized Clinical Trial

Igor H. Murai et al.

Question  What is the effect of a single high dose of vitamin D3 on hospital length of stay among hospitalized patients with moderate to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?

Findings  In this randomized clinical trial that involved 240 hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19, a single dose of 200 000 IU of vitamin D3, compared with placebo, did not significantly reduce hospital length of stay (median of 7.0 vs 7.0 days; unadjusted hazard ratio for hospital discharge, 1.07).

Meaning  The study does not support the use of a high dose of vitamin D3 for treatment of moderate to severe COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.

Abstract

Importance  The efficacy of vitamin D3 supplementation in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear.

Objective  To investigate the effect of a single high dose of vitamin D3 on hospital length of stay in patients with COVID-19.

Design, Setting, and Participants  This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted in 2 sites in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The study included 240 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who were moderately to severely ill at the time of enrollment from June 2, 2020, to August 27, 2020. The final follow-up was on October 7, 2020.

Interventions  Patients were randomly assigned to receive a single oral dose of 200 000 IU of vitamin D3 (n = 120) or placebo (n = 120).

Main Outcomes and Measures  The primary outcome was length of stay, defined as the time from the date of randomization to hospital discharge. Prespecified secondary outcomes included mortality during hospitalization; the number of patients admitted to the intensive care unit; the number of patients who required mechanical ventilation and the duration of mechanical ventilation; and serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, total calcium, creatinine, and C-reactive protein.

Results  Of 240 randomized patients, 237 were included in the primary analysis (mean [SD] age, 56.2 [14.4] years; 104 [43.9%] women; mean [SD] baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, 20.9 [9.2] ng/mL). Median (interquartile range) length of stay was not significantly different between the vitamin D3 (7.0 [4.0-10.0] days) and placebo groups (7.0 [5.0-13.0] days) (log-rank P = .59; unadjusted hazard ratio for hospital discharge, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.82-1.39]; P = .62). The difference between the vitamin D3 group and the placebo group was not significant for in-hospital mortality (7.6% vs 5.1%; difference, 2.5% [95% CI, –4.1% to 9.2%]; P = .43), admission to the intensive care unit (16.0% vs 21.2%; difference, –5.2% [95% CI, –15.1% to 4.7%]; P = .30), or need for mechanical ventilation (7.6% vs 14.4%; difference, –6.8% [95% CI, –15.1% to 1.2%]; P = .09). Mean serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D significantly increased after a single dose of vitamin D3 vs placebo (44.4 ng/mL vs 19.8 ng/mL; difference, 24.1 ng/mL [95% CI, 19.5-28.7]; P < .001). There were no adverse events, but an episode of vomiting was associated with the intervention.

Conclusions and Relevance  Among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, a single high dose of vitamin D3, compared with placebo, did not significantly reduce hospital length of stay. The findings do not support the use of a high dose of vitamin D3 for treatment of moderate to severe COVID-19.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2776738

Eat as much fish or as little fish as you like. No amount will protect you from heart disease

The journal article:

Associations of Fish Consumption With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality Among Individuals With or Without Vascular Disease From 58 Countries

Deepa Mohan et al.

Question  Is there a difference in the association of fish consumption with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or of mortality between individuals with and individuals without vascular disease?

Findings  In this analysis of 4 international cohort studies of 191 558 people from 58 countries on 6 continents, a lower risk of major CVD and total mortality was associated with higher fish intake of at least 175 g (2 servings) weekly among high-risk individuals or patients with vascular disease, but NOT in general populations without vascular disease; a similar pattern of results was observed for sudden cardiac death. Oily fish but not other types of fish were associated with greater benefits.

Meaning  Study findings suggest that fish intake of at least 175 g (2 servings) weekly is associated with lower risk of major CVD and mortality among patients with prior CVD, but not in the general population.

Abstract

Importance:  Cohort studies report inconsistent associations between fish consumption, a major source of long-chain ω-3 fatty acids, and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. Whether the associations vary between those with and those without vascular disease is unknown.

Objective:  To examine whether the associations of fish consumption with risk of CVD or of mortality differ between individuals with and individuals without vascular disease.

Design, Setting, and Participants:  This pooled analysis of individual participant data involved 191 558 individuals from 4 cohort studies—147 645 individuals (139 827 without CVD and 7818 with CVD) from 21 countries in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study and 43 413 patients with vascular disease in 3 prospective studies from 40 countries. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated by multilevel Cox regression separately within each study and then pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. This analysis was conducted from January to June 2020.

Exposures:  Fish consumption was recorded using validated food frequency questionnaires. In 1 of the cohorts with vascular disease, a separate qualitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess intake of individual types of fish.

Main Outcomes and Measures:  Mortality and major CVD events (including myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure, or sudden death).

Results:  Overall, 191 558 participants with a mean (SD) age of 54.1 (8.0) years (91 666 [47.9%] male) were included in the present analysis. During 9.1 years of follow-up in PURE, compared with little or no fish intake (≤50 g/mo), an intake of 350 g/wk or more was not associated with risk of major CVD (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.86-1.04) or total mortality (HR, 0.96; 0.88-1.05). By contrast, in the 3 cohorts of patients with vascular disease, the HR for risk of major CVD (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.96) and total mortality (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.74-0.91) was lowest with intakes of at least 175 g/wk (or approximately 2 servings/wk) compared with 50 g/mo or lower, with no further apparent decrease in HR with consumption of 350 g/wk or higher. Fish with higher amounts of ω-3 fatty acids were strongly associated with a lower risk of CVD (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.97 per 5-g increment of intake), whereas other fish were neutral (collected in 1 cohort of patients with vascular disease). The association between fish intake and each outcome varied by CVD status, with a lower risk found among patients with vascular disease but not in general populations (for major CVD, I2 = 82.6 [P = .02]; for death, I2 = 90.8 [P = .001]).

Conclusions and Relevance:  Findings of this pooled analysis of 4 cohort studies indicated that a minimal fish intake of 175 g (approximately 2 servings) weekly is associated with lower risk of major CVD and mortality among patients with prior CVD but not in general populations. The consumption of fish (especially oily fish) should be evaluated in randomized trials of clinical outcomes among people with vascular disease.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2777338?guestAccessKey=51b4948a-350e-4e3b-838d-c8f5c2458e01&utm_source=silverchair&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=article_alert-jamainternalmedicine&utm_content=olf&utm_term=030821

An apple a day really DOES keep the doctor away! Chemicals in the fruit can boost brain function and reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease, scientists say

<i>In mice</i>

Natural compounds found in apples can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, scientists say.

High concentrations of compounds in apples and other plants, known as phytonutrients, stimulate the creation of neurons, in a process called neurogenesis.

Neurons are highly excitable cell that transmits information to parts of the body via electrical signals – and they boost our learning and memory abilities.  

Two compounds – quercetin in apple peel and dihydroxybezoic acid (DHBA) in apple flesh – generated neurons in the brains of mice in lab tests.

Interestingly, apple juice was not found to significantly contribute to neurogenesis, suggesting the benefits apply to eating the whole apple and not just a glass of juice.

The research was led by experts from the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, Germany.  

'An apple a day keeps the doctor away – there may be some truth to this aphorism,' they say in their paper, published in Stem Cell Reports.

'In this study we demonstrate that apples contain pro-neurogenic compounds in both their peel and their flesh.'

The study showed that lab-grown stem cells from adult mouse brains generated more neurons and were protected from cell death when quercetin or DHBA were added to the cultures.  

Subsequent tests in mice showed that in distinct structures of the adult brain associated with learning and memory, stem cells multiplied and generated more neurons when the mice were given high doses of quercetin or DHBA.

The effects on neurogenesis were comparable to effects seen after physical exercise, which is a known stimulus for neurogenesis.

This suggested natural compounds in fruits, not just quercetin and DHBA but potentially others, may act in synergy to promote neurogenesis and brain function when given in high concentrations.

Given the wide consumption of apple juice, researchers also examined whether consumption of whole apple juice concentrate affected neurogenesis in the lab mice.

To eliminate any possible effect of the increased caloric intake of fruit sugar, a group of mice received a portion of sugar water with equal calories, as well as a control group that received normal drinking water.

Three weeks after being given apple juice, mice were trained to locate a submerged escape platform in a circular pool, known as the Morris water maze task.

This was designed to detect the contribution of adult-generated neurons to the overall performance in spatial navigation and cognitive flexibility.

However, apple juice supplementation was found to have no effect on adult neurogenesis or learning.   

'Given that the quercetin concentration in apple juice is very low (below 2 mg/litre) ... we conclude that this is likely an insufficient concentration of active phytochemical to modulate neurogenesis,' the team say.  

Researchers did point out that a 2010 study showed the consumption of apple juice improved behavioural symptoms in human patients with Alzheimer's.

Flavonoids, the abundant phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables, can modulate molecular signalling pathways that influence cognitive abilities.

Dietary flavonoids are naturally occurring in fruit, vegetables, chocolate, and beverages like red wine and tea.

Although it's known an apple a day keeps the doctor away, two daily apples might be better to reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, experts found in 2019.

When 40 people with slightly high cholesterol ate two large apples a day for eight weeks, it lowered their levels of 'bad' cholesterol by almost four per cent.

Two apples a day could help to reduce their risk of a stroke or heart attack, which can be caused by cholesterol hardening the arteries.

'It seems the old adage of an apple day was nearly right,' said study author Professor Julie Lovegrove, from the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading, at the time.

'We believe the fibre and polyphenols in apples are important, and apples are a popular fruit among all ages, which are easy to eat and make great snack foods.'  

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9254493/An-apple-day-reduce-Alzheimers-risk-scientists-say.html