Green tea boosts memory

BEIJING: Scientists now have an explanation for why green tea is good for the brain – it lies in the chemical properties that affect the production of brain cells, improving memory and spatial learning.

“Green tea is a popular beverage across the world,” said Yun Bai, professor from the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.

“There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cellular mechanisms in the brain.”

Yun’s team focused on the organic chemical EGCG, (epigallocatechin-3 gallate) a key property of green tea.

While EGCG is a known antioxidant, the team believed it can also have a beneficial effect against age-related degenerative diseases, the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research reports.

“We proposed that EGCG can improve cognitive function by impacting the generation of neuron cells, a process known as neurogenesis,” said Yun.

“We focused our research on the hippocampus, the part of the brain which processes information from short-term to long-term memory.”

The team found that ECGC boosts the production of neural progenitor cells, which like stem cells can adapt, or differentiate, into various types of cells.

The team then used lab mice to discover if this increased cell production gave an advantage to memory or spatial learning, according to a Medical University statement.

“We ran tests on two groups of mice, one which had imbibed ECGC and a control group (without ECGC),” said Yun.

“First the mice were trained for three days to find a visible platform in their maze. Then they were trained for seven days to find a hidden platform.”

The team found that the ECGC treated mice required less time to find the hidden platform.

Overall the results revealed that EGCG enhances learning and memory by improving object recognition and spatial memory.

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Coconut oil can combat tooth decay, study suggests

Digested oil inhibits growth of streptococcus bacteria, Irish researchers find

CBC News 

Researchers at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland have found that digested coconut oil inhibits the growth of common bacteria that cause tooth decay and could be an effective alternative to chemical additives in dental hygiene products.

The researchers tested the effect of coconut oil on several common strains of streptococcus bacteria found inside the mouth.

They tested the effect of the oil in both its natural and digested form.

To mimic the process of digestion, they treated the oil with enzymes.

They found that in the digested form, the oil inhibited most strains of the bacteria, including streptococcus mutans, a common acid-producing bacteria that is is a major cause of tooth decay.

The coconut oil was also harmful to candida albicans, a yeast that causes a mouth infection called thrush.

The researchers presented their findings Monday at the autumn conference of the Society for General Microbiology, underway at the University of Warwick in England.

Of interest to dental hygiene industry

Damien Brady, who led the research, and his colleagues say their findings could be used to market coconut oil as an antimicrobial in dental care products.

"Incorporating enzyme-modified coconut oil into dental hygiene products would be an attractive alternative to chemical additives, particularly as it works at relatively low concentrations," Brady, associate director of the Bioscience Research Institute at the Athlone Institute, said in a press release.

"Also, with increasing antibiotic resistance, it is important that we turn our attention to new ways to combat microbial infection."

Brady said finding effective weapons against the bacteria that cause tooth decay is important given the high number of adults and children who have some form of tooth decay.

"Dental caries is a commonly overlooked health problem affecting 60-90 per cent of children and the majority of adults in industrialized countries," he said in the release.

Coconut oil is not the only food product to have exhibited antibacterial properties in a partially digested form.

Past studies have shown that enzyme-modified milk reduced the binding of the streptococcus mutans bacteria to tooth enamel.

Brady said he and his colleagues hope to further investigate which other bacteria strains and yeast the coconut oil might be effective against and exactly how the oil and other enzyme-modified foodstuffs interfere with the processes by which bacteria cause disease.

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Breastfeeding problems tied to moms’ depression

NEW moms who have particular difficulty breastfeeding may be at greater risk of postpartum depression, a new study suggests. 

The findings, reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, do not prove that breastfeeding problems are the cause of depression symptoms. But researchers say that new mothers and their doctors should be aware that the two can go hand-in-hand. 

The study found that of nearly 2,600 mothers who had ever breastfed, just less than eight percent screened positive for major depression two months after giving birth. And that risk was higher among women who either had severe breast pain or generally “disliked” breastfeeding during their baby’s first weeks of life. 

Whether the breastfeeding difficulties are to blame is not clear, according to lead researcher Stephanie Watkins, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A limit of the study, she said, is that there was no information on whether mothers had suffered depression during pregnancy. 

So it could be that women who were already depressed had a tougher time with breastfeeding. “Everything is harder when you’re depressed,” said Dr. Alison Stuebe, an obstetrician/gynecologist at UNC who also worked on the study. “It may be that some women were depressed during pregnancy, and that made breastfeeding harder.” 

On the other hand, she said in an interview, it’s possible that underlying hormonal factors contribute to both breastfeeding issues and depression. Stuebe and her colleagues are doing further studies to look into that question. Whatever the reasons for the connection, the researchers said the main message is that early breastfeeding problems could serve as a warning sign of postpartum depression in some women. 

Both Watkins and Stuebe suggested that new moms talk with their doctor about any breastfeeding problems they are having. And doctors, they said, might think about screening those women for postpartum depression. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says there is not enough evidence to support routinely screening all new mothers for postpartum depression. (The major downside of any medical screening is that it can lead to over-diagnosis, and treatment of people who do not need it.) 

On the other hand, ACOG also says that depression screening can benefit new mothers and their families, and “should be strongly considered.” Focusing screening on women with risk factors for postpartum depression could be the best route, Stuebe noted. “And our study suggests that this (breastfeeding difficulties) may be a risk factor,” she said.

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Genetic entrepreneur to compete in Genomics X Prize

By Helen Briggs

BBC News

A race to unlock genetic clues behind living to 100 is set to begin next year, after a US team announced it will compete for the $10m Genomics X Prize.

Genetic entrepreneur Dr Jonathan Rothberg is entering the challenge to identify genes linked to a long, healthy life.

His team - and any other contenders - will be given 30 days to work out the full DNA code of 100 centenarians at a cost of no more than $1,000 per genome.

The race will start in September 2013.

Under the rules of the Archon Genomics X Prize, teams have until next May to register for the competition.

Dr Rothberg's team from Life Technologies Corporation in California is the first to formally enter the race.

Being able to sequence the full human genome at a cost of $1,000 or less is regarded as a milestone in science.

It is seen as the threshold at which DNA sequencing technology becomes cheap enough to be used widely in medicine, helping in diagnosis and in matching drugs to a patient's genetic make-up.

One hundred people aged 100 have donated their DNA for the project.

Scientists believe people who reach a very old age may have certain rare changes in their genes which protect against common diseases of later life, such as heart disease and cancer.

If these genes can be identified by analysing the DNA codes of centenarians, it will help scientists search for new medical treatments and perhaps ways to prolong life.

However, many sample DNA sequences will be needed in order to get the accuracy needed to pinpoint changes on the scale of a few genetic letters among the three billion in the human genome.

Dr Jonathan Rothberg, a geneticist and entrepreneur, said the DNA of 100 centenarians is a good start towards finding "the fountains of youth".

He told BBC News: "One hundred people will give you a hint. One thousand will make you reasonably sure. Ten thousand will let you say, 'Hey, these are the genes involved in cancer or heart disease'".

Dr Craig Venter is the originator of the prize and one of the main players in the race to sequence the first human genome, which was completed in 2003.

He said he could never have imagined that genome sequencing would come this far in so little time.

He told the BBC: "I can't emphasise [enough] how impressed I am with the progress of technology and the dropping of the cost.

"If they can do a human genome in two hours with one little machine, it's just stunning. We have come a long way."

The X Prize Foundation offers awards for solutions to modern scientific challenges, from space to the human genome.

Any data gleaned from the X Prize will be shared with other scientists in the field, to aid the quest for insights into ageing.

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Artificial jellyfish created from heart cells

Scientists in the US have created a free swimming artificial jellyfish.

The team members built the replica using silicone as a base on which to grow heart muscle cells that were harvested from rats.

They used an electric current to shock the Medusoid into swimming with synchronised contractions that mimic those of real jellyfish.

The advance, by researchers at Caltech and Harvard University, is reported in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

The finding serves as a proof of concept for reverse engineering a variety of muscular organs and simple life forms.

Because jellyfish use a muscle to pump their way through the water, the way they function - on a very basic level - is similar to that of a human heart.

"I started looking at marine organisms that pump to survive," said Kevin Kit Parker, a professor of bioengineering and applied physics at Harvard.

"Then I saw a jellyfish at the New England Aquarium, and I immediately noted both similarities and differences between how the jellyfish pumps and the human heart.

"The similarities help reveal what you need to do to design a bio-inspired pump."

Mechanical movement

The work also points to a broader definition of "synthetic life" in an emerging field of science that has until now focused on replicating life's building blocks, say the researchers.

Prof Parker said he wanted to challenge the traditional view of synthetic biology which is "focused on genetic manipulations of cells". Instead of building just a cell, he sought to "build a beast".

The two groups at Caltech and Harvard worked for years to understand the key factors that contribute to jellyfish propulsion, including the arrangement of their muscles, how their bodies contract and recoil, and how fluid dynamics helps or hinders their movements.

Once these functions were well understood, the researchers began to reverse engineer them.

They used silicone to fashion a jellyfish-shaped body with eight arm-like appendages.

Next, they printed a pattern made of protein onto the "body" that resembled the muscle architecture of the real animal.

They grew the heart muscle cells on top, with the protein pattern serving as a road map for the growth and organisation of the rat tissue. This allowed them to turn the cells into a coherent swimming muscle.

When the researchers set the Medusoid free in a container of electrically conducting fluid, they shocked the Medusoid into swimming with synchronised contractions. The muscle cells even started to contract a bit on their own before the electrical current was applied.

"I was surprised that with relatively few components - a silicone base and cells that we arranged - we were able to reproduce some pretty complex swimming and feeding behaviours that you see in biological jellyfish," said John Dabiri, professor of aeronautics and bioengineering at Caltech.

"I'm pleasantly surprised at how close we are getting to matching the natural biological performance, but also that we're seeing ways in which we can probably improve on that natural performance. The process of evolution missed a lot of good solutions."

Lead author Janna Nawroth from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena commented that the field of tissue engineering was "still a very qualitative art".

She said researchers tried to copy a tissue or organ "based on what they think is important or what they see as the major components without necessarily understanding if those components are relevant to the desired function or without analysing first how different materials could be used".

The team aims to carry out further work on the artificial jellyfish. They want to make adjustments that will allow it to turn and move in a particular direction.

They also plan to incorporate a simple "brain" so it can respond to its environment and replicate more advanced behaviours like moving towards a light source and seeking energy or food.

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Slower walking speed a sign of dementia

Three new studies have found that changes in walking patterns of the elderly are closely linked to memory loss and may actually be an early clue to dementia.

One group of researchers studied the strides of a group of elderly patients at Basel Mobility Center in Switzerland.

The study led by researcher Dr. Stephanie Bridenbaugh, found that those participants with declines in cognition tended to walk more slowly than their memory-savvy counterparts, particularly when asked to perform a simple task — such as counting backward — while walking.

"Gait analysis can simply, quickly and objectively measure walking. When problems emerge, this may provide early detection of fall risk and the earliest stages of cognitive impairment in older adults," ABC News quoted Bridenbaugh as commenting in a news release.

Other doctors not directly involved with the research agreed that it could be difficult for older patients to perform tasks while walking.

"Someone with mild troubles trying to remember things, they might not be focused as much on walking," said Dr. William Hu, assistant professor of neurology at Emory University.

"I hear this all the time from patients: 'I was rushing to go to the grocery store, and I left my purse at home.' Asking a person to do another thing while walking really tests their cognitive reserve," he noted.

Another set of researchers at the Mayo Clinic found similar results. The scientists looked at the changes in the pace and the stride of their patients over the span of 15 months. They found that these changes in walking were directly correlated to their memory loss.

Heather Snyder, senior associate director of the Alzheimer's Association, reports that these studies "continue to build the evidence that there is a connection between gait and cognition."

The studies were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday.

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Egg allergies 'treated with egg'

Omelettes, meringues and pasta could one-day be back on the menu for some people with egg allergies after they are treated with the very food they are allergic to, say US researchers.

The only option for patients is to completely avoid foods containing egg.

A study on 55 children showed some were able to eat egg after minuscule amounts were gradually added to their diets.

However, the treatment is still experimental and doctors say it should not be tried at home.

Egg allergies are one of the most common allergies and are thought to affect up to 2.5% of children.

Gradually introducing the food which causes an allergic reaction has been successful in other foods such as such as peanuts.

Parents were given powdered egg to mix into their children's food, building up to about a third of an egg every day.

This study gives us hope that we're closer to developing a treatment”

Dr Wesley Burks

University of North Carolina

The findings, presented in the New England Journal of Medicine, report that after 22 months of egg therapy, 75% of the children were able to eat the equivalent of two eggs without reacting.

The children were tested again after at least a month of no longer having the daily egg treatment. Of these, 28% could still eat egg without reacting and were considered allergy-free.

One of the researchers Dr Wesley Burks, from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, said: "This study gives us hope that we're closer to developing a treatment.

"Almost a third of the children had a permanent change and were no longer egg-allergic."

Dr Stacie Jones, from University of Arkansas, said: "Reducing these kids' allergic response to egg also lessened parental anxiety over how their children might react if accidentally exposed to egg at school or at someone else's house."

However, about 15% of children did not finish the treatment, mostly due to allergic reactions.

Lindsey McManus, from the charity Allergy UK, said: "This is a very exciting development into immunotherapy for food allergy.

"Similar to recent trials being carried out into immunotherapy for peanut allergy at Addenbrookes hospital, the results are very promising.

"It is however very early days and more research will be needed before this is used as a regular form of treatment. We would echo the warning in the report that this should never be tried at home due to the risk of serious allergic reactions."

BBC

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Green coffee beans show potential for losing weight

In a limited trial, 16 overweight young adults taking various doses of green coffee bean extract lost an average of 17.5 pounds and 16% in body fat in 22 weeks. But questions remain, experts say.

By Melissa Healy

Los Angeles Times

When roasted at 475 degrees, coffee beans are sometimes described as rich and full-bodied. But for the full-bodied person who is not so rich, unroasted coffee beans — green as the day they were picked — may hold the key to cheap and effective weight loss, new research suggests.

In a study presented Tuesday at the American Chemical Society's spring national meeting in San Diego, 16 overweight young adults took, by turns, a low dose of green coffee bean extract, a high dose of the supplement, and a placebo. Though the study was small, the results were striking: Subjects lost an average of 17.5 pounds in 22 weeks and reduced their overall body weight by 10.5%.

If green coffee extract were a medication seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration, these results would make it a viable candidate — more than 35% of subjects lost more than 5% of their body weight, and weight loss appeared to be greater while subjects were taking the pills than when they were on the placebo.

But as a dietary supplement, green coffee extract does not require the FDA's blessing. In fact, it is already available as a naturopathic medicine and antioxidant.

Joe Vinson, the University of Scranton chemist who conducted the pilot study, said the findings should pave the way for more rigorous research on coffee bean extract's effects. A larger trial involving 60 people is being planned.

Vinson, whose research focuses on plant polyphenols and their effects on human health, said it appears that green coffee bean extract may work by reducing the absorption of fat and glucose in the gut; it may also reduce insulin levels, which would improve metabolic function. There were no signs of ill effects on any subjects, Vinson reported Tuesday.

The study used a "cross-over" design, which allowed each subject to serve as his or her own comparison group. For six weeks, volunteers swallowed capsules three times a day, ingesting either 700 or 1,050 milligrams of green coffee extract a day or taking a placebo. After a two-week break, they moved, round-robin style, to another arm of the trial.

Subjects did not change their calorie intake over the course of the trial. But the more extract they consumed, the more weight and fat they lost. Altogether, they reduced their body fat by 16%, on average.

Of the 16 volunteers, six wound up with a body mass index in the healthful range.

One downside is that the extract is "extremely bitter." It would be difficult to take without a lot of water, Vinson reported.

At roughly $20 per month, however, green coffee extract is much less expensive than any of the weight-loss medications available over the counter or by prescription.

The trial was conducted in India and paid for by Applied Food Sciences Inc. of Austin, Tex., a manufacturer of green coffee bean extract.

The pilot study drew strong cautions from several scientists who weren't involved in the research.

"This is certainly a provocative study," said Dr. Gerald Weissmann, a physician and biochemist at New York University. But he said nutrition experts would want assurances that green coffee beans do not cause "malabsorption" within the human gut — a condition that would lead to weight loss as well as malnutrition, heart arrhythmias and other problems because vitamins and minerals are not passing through the intestine.

Dr. Arthur Grollman, a pharmacologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, said coffee beans contain about 250 different chemicals — some with positive and others with negative effects on human health. Though Vinson identified polyphenols and chlorogenic acid as the agents that appear to promote weight loss, Grollman said that claim needed further study. In the meantime, he said, consuming an extract that contains both good and bad chemicals in dense concentration seems an unwise thing to do.

melissa.healy@latimes.com

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