When we speak of your muscles, glands, and organs, they are mainly made up of protein. Indeed the two major components making up our bodies are water and protein. So, why all the fuss about protein diet? Imagine a diet of juicy steaks, creamy desserts and heaps of buttery snacks. While this diet may cause a host of medical problems, it may not lead to obesity, preliminary study findings reveal.
There are several weight loss diet plans that are designed to assist an individual in the up hill battle of losing weight. A team of researchers found that by producing a certain protein in muscle cells, they could boost metabolism and prevent weight gain in mice that were fed a high-fat diet and did not exercise. With a high protein diet plan an individual is encouraged to stay away from carbohydrates and to eat foods that are very high in protein. The findings may eventually lead to a way to help humans to stay thin without exercising, according to the report in the October issue of Nature Medicine.
“It may be possible either through drugs or gene therapy to turn on something like uncoupling protein that would waste energy instead of storing it in fat,” Dr. Clay Semenkovich, the study’s lead author, said in a prepared statement. “Such treatments would promote leanness.”
“The protein decreases obesity. It also clearly prevents diabetes, one of the complications of obesity,” explained Semenkovich. “We would predict this to result in less heart disease in these mice, a notion that we are in the process of studying.” He stressed that similar studies in humans are years away.
However, the findings have “led to renewed optimism that pharmacological strategies to reduce obesity and diabetes by physiological mechanisms similar to those of exercise will be possible,” Dr. Leslie P. Kozak of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, notes in an editorial. Many men and women have had success with a high protein diet weight loss plan. A study that was recently conducted proved that men and women who were on a high protein weight loss plan experienced less hunger, greater weight loss and increased satisfaction when twenty percent of fat was cut out of their diet.
The research team, from Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri, bred mice that produced uncoupling protein-1 in their muscle tissue. This protein, which is not normally produced in muscle tissue, converts calories from food into heat instead of ATP. A protein diet for weight loss can be set-up in many different ways. A protein shake diet is recommended for individuals who want to cut back on the amount of food that is consumed on a daily basis.
ATP is a form of energy used by the muscle cells during exercise. Without exercise, ATP is used to produce and store fat. Uncoupling protein-1, however, was found to speed up the metabolism of muscle cells in mice, thereby mimicking the effects of exercise.
What’s more, the mice bred to produce the protein remained thin, did not develop diabetes and had low cholesterol, even when they consumed a diet high in fat. They also remained as physically fit as mice fed a healthy diet.
Proteins are composed of amino acids, and the human body requires 20 such amino acids for it’s normal growth and development. When considering a protein diet, it is important to know that certain foods carry proteins containing essential amino acids which are NOT produced by the body itself but ARE essential to the body’s processing of the other 12 non-essential amino acids.
In comparison, normal mice who consumed a high-fat diet became obese and diabetic, and developed high cholesterol.
“We’ve produced mice that can eat as much as they like without suffering the consequences of obesity and diabetes,” Semenkovich added.
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Uncategorized | 15.07.2008 21:10 | Comments Off
Alternative names
Organic brain syndrome
Definition
Alzheimer’s disease is a common, progressive, degenerative disease of the brain. It is characterized by loss of memory and other cognitive functions. Among people aged 65 or older, it is the most common cause of dementia.
What is going on in the body?
Alzheimer’s disease causes damage to certain pathways in the brain. These pathways are essential for thinking, learning and memory. There is brain cell degeneration and plaques are found in the brain. Neurofibriliary tangles are also seen. A type of protein called TAU is the main component of these tangles. People with Alzheimer’s have smaller brains than the normal population. They have lower amounts of a neurotransmitter (chemicals that serve as messengers between nerve cells) called acetylcholine. This chemical is essential for memory and thinking.
What are the signs and symptoms of the disease?
# Symptoms include: memory problems.
# problems finding the right words.
# poor judgment.
# language deterioration.
# day/night disorientation.
# depression.
# hallucinations.
# delusions.
# agitation and irritability.
# impaired ability to orient the body to the surrounding space.
Sometimes individuals will wander. They can have problems doing complex tasks such as cooking or keeping track of a checkbook.
What are the causes and risks of the disease?
The exact role of genetics in Alzheimer’s disease is not clear. Scientists have found links between the disease and certain chromosomes. An extremely rare form of early onset Alzheimer’s has been linked to certain chromosomes. The known risk factors are family history of dementia, advancing age and the presence of Down’s syndrome.
What can be done to prevent the disease?
There are no known methods to prevent the disease.
How is the disease diagnosed?
The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is based on a history of increasing loss of memory and other cognitive functions. Changes in behavior, personality and judgment are also seen. Other causes need to be ruled out. These include multiple strokes, Parkinson’s disease, hydrocephalus (excessive fluid around the brain), vitamin B12 deficiency , low levels of thyroid hormone, alcoholism, infectious diseases and major depression. The clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s can be made with an accuracy up to 90 percent (90%) based on these symptoms and the results of several tests.
What are the long-term effects?
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The disease is progressive. The symptoms get worse as the disease progresses.
What are the risks to others?
The only possible risk factor may be a hereditary factor.
What are the treatments?
Treatment includes medications, such as donepezil, and tacrine, and a new medicine called rivastigmine. These medicines are designed to improve memory by increasing the amount of acetylcholine in the body. Other medications, such as risperidone or quetiapine, may also be used to help any behavioral problems such as hallucinations, delusions, or agitation. Some individuals with Alzheimer’s may also need medications for depression, anxiety or insomnia. Other treatments include support and education for those caring for people with Alzheimer’s. Individual and family counseling can be beneficial. Support groups have also been found to assist caregivers.
What are the side effects of the treatments?
Some drugs used can damage the liver, so testing is required. Some others can cause nausea, diarrhea, insomnia vomiting, fatigue or muscle cramps.
How is the disease monitored?
Individuals are monitored by a physician with follow-up visits. The physician will test the mental condition of individuals with Alzheimer’s. Cognitive function can be followed closely.
Uncategorized | 15.07.2008 21:09 | Comments Off
HONG KONG, Oct 09 (Reuters Health) - The structured care that diabetics get when they take part in a drug trial may help them avoid some effects of their illness, seemingly regardless of whether they get the drug or not, a researcher said here.
Diabetics often suffer from high blood pressure, a condition that greatly increases their risk of kidney disease. Studies have shown that good control over blood pressure and cholesterol reduces diabetics’ rates of heart disease and kidney complications. Drug treatment with ACE inhibitors–which primarily lower blood pressure–may also reduce kidney deterioration, but research is ongoing.
Early findings from a study investigating the effect of the ACE inhibitor losartan on kidney disease suggest that simply joining the study benefited type 2 diabetics, according to Wilson Yun-shing Leung of the Prince of Wales Hospital.
The Chinese group is part of an ongoing 4-year multinational study involving more than 1,500 type 2 diabetic patients with established kidney disease. Patients were divided into two groups: one group received losartan and the other was given an inactive placebo.
Leung said the results so far show the rate of kidney function decline slowed in 84% of people enrolled in the study. And, 60% of patients experienced more than a 50% reduction in the rate of their kidney function decline.
The researcher told Reuters Health that while losartan may protect the kidneys, the placebo may also have had an effect because most of the patients in the study overall started doing better.
“The aggressive blood pressure control and the intensive, structured care that the patients were receiving in the clinical trial setting may also have contributed to the slowing of their kidney disease progression,” the study leader, Leung, explained in an interview.
Uncategorized | 15.07.2008 21:06 | Comments Off