Category Archives: Diet And Food

Image: iKnife cutting into a tumour. Credit: Jeroen Claus, Phospho Biomedical Animation

Its no secret that what we eat and drink can affect how certain medical treatments work.

You may have heard that we should avoid taking ibuprofen on an empty stomach and that grapefruit juice can interfere with medicines like statins and antihistamines.

There has been some evidence that diet could play an important role in responses to cancer treatments too.

For example, a few years ago, a group of researchers found that some cancer cells depend on the amino acidasparagine to grow and spread, and that limiting it in the diet could stop cancer from spreading in mice with breast cancer.

On top of that, a different team found that excess amounts of another amino acid histidine makes leukaemia cells in micemore sensitive to the chemotherapy drug methotrexate.

However, a new study published yesterday goes a step further and suggests that eating the right foods or in this case, avoiding the wrong ones can tweak a tumour's metabolism to make it vulnerable to treatment.

The study, carried out in mice and published in Cell, is one of the first to show that by avoiding certain foods we can make an otherwise useless treatment effective against cancer. In other words, its not just that diet makes the treatment more effective it ensures it works.

The study, led by Dr George Poulogiannisand his colleagues at the ICR, looks at a new class of drug known as cPLA2 inhibitors, which are used in clinical trials to treat inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or dermatitis and are now being considered for trialling in cancer. The drug can target a key molecule known as cPLA2 and directly influence cancer's energy supply in mice.

Cancer cells use certain metabolic pathways to break down and obtain nutrients in ways that support their uncontrolled growth and spread. These pathways are often seen as a potential weakness that we can take advantage of. How? For example, by using a drug that blocks the pathway, which would deprive cancer cells of necessary nutrients.

Dr Poulogiannis, leader of the Signalling and Cancer Metabolism teambehind the research at the ICR said, It takes a lot for cancer cells to divide as often and spread as much as they do. They need lots of fuel.

In this new study, researchers found that cancers with mutations in the PI3K signalling pathway which has been linked to almost all human cancers rely on omega-6 fats to grow and spread.

The molecule cPLA2 in PI3K-mutant cancer cells releases arachidonic acid a type of omega-6 fatty acid that fuels the cancer and allows it to keep growing.

Dr Poulogiannis explained:

We believe that when cancers acquire mutations in genes that are part of the PI3K signalling pathway a key signalling pathway promoting many key functions such as cell survival and growth cancer cells are able to take advantage of this pathway and become more reliant on certain fat to sustain their rapid growth and proliferation.

Meat and dairy products are major sources of arachidonic acid. However, other omega-6 fatty acids such as linoleic acid, which can be found in sunflower oil, can also be converted by the body into arachidonic acid. This means that there are many different ways in which this cancer can obtain the fuel it needs to grow it can release it, or it can use the arachidonic acid from foods we consume.

Researchers used cPLA2 inhibitor drugs in mice to block the cPLA2 molecule from releasing arachidonic acid. However, because Western diets contain high amounts of omega-6 fats, researchers also had to feed mice a diet free from processed meat, dairy and processed vegetable oils. These are all foods high in omega-6 fatty acids, and by eliminating them from the diet, researchers enabled cPLA2 inhibitor drugs to work effectively against cancer in mice.

By getting rid of all the fat that sustains cancers growth through combining an experimental drug and diet changes we can defeat cancer in mice by targeting its metabolism, explained Dr Poulogiannis.

These findings open up the possibility of running new clinical trials where diet plays a key role and suggest that avoiding certain foods in combination with a targeted cancer drug could help attack tumours metabolism in future treatment strategies.

However, these findings do not mean that every cancer patient would benefit from a fat-free diet and they do not have any impact on existing, approved cancer treatments. After all, fat is one of the three main macronutrients that we need to survive, and completely cutting it out from our diet for no reason would not be healthy.

If the findings are successfully translated into humans through a clinical trial which is currently being planned, the approach could be relevant to many different cancer types with mutations in the PI3K pathway.

And Dr Poulogiannis believes the principles established in this study could mean that, when it comes to cancer, in the not-too-distant future, what we eat could have a much bigger role in how we treat.

He concludes: As we are able to unravel new evidence and understand more about the metabolism of cancer cells, using diet and nutrition to complement targeted drugs gets closer to becoming a reality.

Read the rest here:
Science Talk - Can we target cancer's metabolism by combining new drugs with a fat-free diet? - The Institute of Cancer Research

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- In addition to all of the physical benefits that Bryson DeChambeau is enjoying after a months-long process that has seen him add 40 pounds, perhaps the best one has nothing to do with golf.

It's his diet.

Specifically, the ability to eat, well, as much as possible.

"I eat whatever I want, whenever,'' DeChambeau said Friday.

So far, DeChambeau is devouring golf courses as well, adding a 64 during the second round of the RBC Heritage to a run of good golf that has seen him go 25 under par in six rounds

He heads into the weekend at Harbour Town Golf Club with another chance to win after missing a birdie putt on the final hole this past Sunday that would have put him in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

It's all part of a plan that DeChambeau put in place last fall to gain more muscle and get heavier with the idea of increasing his swing speed and hitting the ball farther.

In an era where strength is encouraged but not necessarily to the point of bulking up to big levels, DeChambeau is shattering a few myths and pummeling the ball to great effect.

DeChambeau, 26, used the three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic to gain another 20 pounds by constantly eating and working out. He had put on approximately 20 pounds in the fall and is up from 195 last year to around 235 -- and it not averse to gaining more.

"The distance gain has helped me hit 9-irons and pitching wedges compared to 7-irons and 6-irons into holes,'' DeChambeau said after his 64 left him a shot behind Webb Simpson. "That's a huge change for me that's allowed me to go and attack flags a lot more, be more aggressive, not really have to try and fit into this little spot down on the fairway out here and really attack those flags.

"So I feel like for me my game after quarantine, the distance has really put it to a whole new level for me.''

DeChambeau has been eating his fair share, but it's also been about better and longer workouts. The five-time PGA Tour winner said he basically spent all of his off time during the three-month PGA Tour shutdown in the gym, on the range or downing protein shakes.

Last week, DeChambeau averaged 340 yards off the tee at Colonial, and he presently leads the PGA Tour in driving distance at 323.8 yards.

And it's been difficult for those in the game to not take notice.

"What's impressive is how straight it's going,'' said Davis Love III, who in his prime was considered one of the longest drivers on tour and played with DeChambeau the first two rounds. "He not only got longer, but he got straighter, and it looks like it's under control, and it actually looks like it could go farther if he didn't try to make sure it went straight.

"With Trackman [a tracking device], with the training, with putting a lot of thought into it, you can figure out a way with your body and your swing to pick up some distance and still hit it straight. Technology and good thinking is helping these guys get longer and straighter.''

Rory McIlroy, one of the longest off the tee in the game, played with DeChambeau during the final round at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

"At the start of the year he came out and he was a bit bigger,'' McIlroy said. "You could see he was getting a bit of speed and stuff, and he was hitting it a long way. But he hit a couple of drives on Sunday that [caddie] Harry [Diamond] and I just looked at each other, and we're like, 'Holy s---, that was unbelievable.'

"He hit one into the wind on 11. I hit a really good one and probably hit it like 315, 320. He must have flew my ball by 40 yards. He hit it like 370, 375 into the wind. It was crazy. It was nuts. It's unbelievable. I mean, it's impressive what he's doing.''

Well, what exactly is he doing?

"It's a two-to-one carb-to-protein ratio, and I literally just have at it,'' he said. "I eat whatever I want whenever. Obviously, I'm trying to control the intake of sugars, but carbs are fine because I'm obviously sweating like crazy out here. So I just eat as much as I want right now. It's nice. And I don't gain weight. I actually lose weight, I've lost a little bit of weight this week.''

And that's just part of it, DeChambeau said. The time in the gym has been as important as the caloric intake.

"It's a lot of muscle,'' he said. "People don't believe me when I say it, but you don't understand my work ethic at that point if you're thinking it's not muscle. And I know there's a limit to how much you can gain.

"This is my first year of actually working out super hard. I know in a year you can gain around 30 pounds, and that's kind of what I've done in a shorter period of time. I haven't taken rest days off. I'm literally working out every single day as hard as I can.''

DeChambeau is known for his eccentric ways going back to college at SMU, where he won the NCAA title as well as the U.S. Amateur. Known as "The Mad Scientist,'' DeChambeau gained notoriety by playing with one-length irons; all of his irons are the same length as a 7-iron, a system nobody else at this level employs.

He can often be seen with an entourage of people when he practices, trying to maximize every technological advantage.

This latest endeavor will be watched with great interest.

"It's been really impressive to see what he's done over, say, the last year or so with his transformation and obviously some serious gain in speed and power,'' Rickie Fowler said. "But it will be interesting to see where the peak is. Where does it become almost counterproductive as far as too much speed, where [shot] dispersion becomes too great? There has to be some sort of peak in there.''

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Bryson DeChambeau's eat whatever he wants, whenever he wants plan seems to be working - ESPN

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If you're on TikTok, it's highly likely your feed has served up a friend or influencer doing something called the 75 Hard Challenge. The hashtags #75HardChallenge and #75Hard have more than 31 million views, collectively.*

And while questionable weight loss trends are not new (sup, Keto diet, Whole30 recipes, and intermittent fasting?), this 75-day plan created by motivational speaker, podcaster, author, and supplement company owner Andy Frisella is going viral for all of the wrong reasons.

In March 2019, Frisella, who is not a certified trainer, dietitian, or licensed clinical therapist, introduced the concept of the 75 Hard Challenge on his podcast, Real AF, suggesting that it's a way to change your life for the better and lose weight "I've spent more than twenty years figuring out how to master mental toughness (sic) and I'm putting everything I've learned into a program I call 75HARD," he writes in the episode notes.

On his website, Frisella writes that 75 Hard is "NOT A REGULAR FITNESS PROGRAM (sic)," Rather, it's a "MENTAL TOUGHNESS PROGRAM," which he is qualified to teach based on his "20 years of intensive study and real-life experience." He does not reference any health, fitness, or therapy courses.

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The basic principles of his challenge include:

Honestly, yes. Besides the seemingly arbitrary rules, there are many other reasons to be worried about the impact Frisella's challenge can have on your physical and mental health.

For starters, following a "diet" for 75 days can mean different things to different people. While some may decide that their "diet" is limiting how much takeout they order, others might take it upon themselves to cut out entire food groupsespecially if their motivation to do the challenge is to lose weight.

That can completely eff with a person's relationship with food, says licensed clinical social worker and therapist, Ayana Ali

That can set you up for a disordered cycle of bingeing and restriction.

Diets that severely restrict food often result in the creation of a negative relationship between individuals and how they nourish themselves, says Ali. It works like this: When you categorize foods as "bad" or "cheat foods" and avoid them, you may crave those foods more intensely. And once you eat them, "you will likely overindulge and subsequently drown in guilt and shame for having consumed so much of it," says Ali. That can set you up for a disordered cycle of bingeing and restriction.

What's worse: Extremely restrictive eating means you may never actually learn healthy eating habits or honor your bodys desires, says Ali.

Then there are the fitness rules that don't take into account your underlying health conditions, previous injuries, or current fitness levels. Exercising for 90 minutes a day, with 45 minutes spent outside regardless of the temp, is not safe for everyone.

And, like the diet rules, the fitness recommendations are basically a choose your own adventure. That means some might take it upon themselves to go HAM with burpees, cardio, strength, or workouts they've never tried before. Which, yeah, is super problematic.

The workout plan is so non-specific that youre at great risk for injury, confirms Albert R. Matheny, registered dietitian, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and owner of the SoHo Strength Lab in New York City. And, for a lot of people, working out twice a day is too much too fast.

Before starting any fitness plan, you should get a physical from your doctor and an assessment from an actual certified personal trainer. This ensures you develop a plan that is safe, effective, and personally aligned toward your goals, says Matheny.

Oh, and it's also not sustainable, says Matheny. Workout routines are best when you can gradually increase what youre doing every week. But doing the same thing every day for 75 days can get extremely monotonous and you may lose motivation fast or just burn out, says Matheny. If the only thing that's motivating you is your daily "progress" picture, that's a major problem too.

Though the plan is meant to improve your "mental toughness," this challenge is more detrimental to your mental health than it is helpful, says Ali.

Succeeding isn't so cut and dryand it has literally nothing to do with what you eat or how much you

"Being extremely regimented can damage your mental health," she says. If you believe (as Frisella suggests) that success only looks like completing a laundry list of random, time-consuming activities, when you cant complete them, you might see yourself as a failure. But succeeding isn't so cut and dryand it has literally nothing to do with what you eat or how much you work out.

If the ability, or lack thereof, to stick to a highly prescriptive plan for 75 days is held out as a measure of mental health, anyone following this diet who does anything less than what the plan details may inaccurately believe that she is weak or that her mental health quotient is low, says Ali. This can lead to feelings of self deprecation and an inability to appreciate other measures of progress towards better emotional health.

In a 2017 interview with Forbes covering Frisella's use of social media to earn 100 million dollars in sales for his supplement company, he told reporters: "When I first started posting things [for my company] online, I looked at all our competitors and all they were posting were pictures of protein powder. I thought that was so boring, and I wanted to do something different, so I catered our content around motivation instead, the lifestyle our customers wanted to live," said Frisella.

And this may be just another non-boring, motivational way Frisella aims to gain more sales, even if the plan is totally free.

"Hes trying to sell you something," says Matheny. The goal of the 75 Hard Challenge isn't to improve your mental toughness, it's to motivate you to unconsciously spread his name, his brand, and his supplement company to your friends. TL;DR: Hes pyramid scheming us, fam.

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For more information on eating disorders and resources that can help, visit the National Eating Disorders Association or the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. If you need to talk to someone right now, call NEDAs hotline at 800-931-2237 or text NEDA to 741-741 to connect with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line.

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Everything You Need to Know About the 75 Hard Challenge Trending on TikTok - Cosmopolitan

COVID-19 has forced millions of people around the world to work from home. Many said the remote culture provides many benefits, from lower risks of coronavirus infections to less stress. But it also has negative effects.

Working from home helps people try new diets and physical activities to be healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, simply spending time in front of the computer could sabotage their healthy lifestyle.

That is because posture plays an important role in physical health. People who work for hours online may slowly and unconsciously slouch or contort the spine, which could contribute to micro-injuries that can affect a persons health and mood, according to Popular Science.

Bad posture has long been linked to sports injuries, such as pulled muscles and hamstrings. Studies also showed it could slow down recovery time from those injuries.

Even those who spend more time on their couch are also likely to suffer from injuries because of their posture. In 2013, researchers found that bad, forward-leaning head posture could worsen pre-existing pain and lead to more visits to the doctor.

A slumped posture also affects mental health. Psychology studies showed that it could give people bad moods, more negative thoughts and worse memory.

But there are easy ways to reduce the bad effects of bad posture. In fact, fixing it may help boost your health.

How To Get Good Posture

You should aim for a neutral spine. It is considered as the optimal position that helps people maintain a good posture and put less stress on the body as they stand, sit or sleep.

There are several steps to achieve a neutral spine. First, make sure your head, shoulders and hips are in line vertically.

Follow the three natural curves of the spine that require a slight inward curvature of the neck, the upper back curved gently out and the lower back curved gently in. Then focus on the muscles around your abdomen, pelvis and back to stabilize your core.

Your body and your muscles are like clay: whatever position you hold them in, they will mold into, Rudy Gehrman, a chiropractor and the CEO of New York-based Physio Logic, said. If you keep pressing on a little sapling tree in a certain direction, then its going to grow in that direction.

Aside from reducing the impacts of slouching, a correct posture may give more health benefits. It has been linked to reduced chronic pain, better breathing and improved mood and resilience to stress, among other positive effects.

Bad posture has been linked to sports injuries, such as pulled muscles and hamstrings. Pixabay

Read more here:
Bad Effects Of Working From Home That People Struggle To Avoid - Medical Daily

Since diet has been linked to regulation of periods, making certain dietary changes and sticking to them can help. Seema suggests the following ways to combat erratic and painful periods:

Follow a diet that is high in fibre and low in animal fat. Avoid salt and caffeine as salt can cause bloating, fluid retention, breast swelling and pain.

Drink more water and herbal teas such as chamomile or mint to stay hydrated. This can decrease your odds of getting dehydration headache, a common symptom of menstruation.

Boost your intake of calcium-rich foods such as low-fat dairy, nuts, fish with bones like sardines and salmon, broccoli, tofu etc.

A wholesome diet of a day should be rich in vegetables (5 servings), fruit (2 servings), seeds, nuts, fish (maximum 3 servings every week).

Proteins such as eggs and legumes, omega-3 foods like chia or flax seeds, low-fat dairy should be included.

Whole grains like rice (doongra, brown or basmati), regular rolled oats, buckwheat flour, wholegrain bread, wholemeal pasta, amaranth, millet or couscous should be eaten in controlled portions.

Avoid saturated fats at all costs and try having lean proteins from red or white meat. For women with heavy periods, protein and iron from the lean meat can be beneficial.

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Lockdown induced painful periods? Eat this! - Times of India

An effective drugs and diet treatment for cancer is on the horizon after experiments in mice found the combination halted tumour growth.

The treatment will now be tested in humans where it holds promise for bowel, breast, cervical, ovarian, uterine and prostate cancers.

Many cancer tumours have a genetic defect which makes them heavily reliant on fat to grow.

Experiments with a repurposed, anti-inflammatory drug, in combination with a fat-free, plant-based diet, not only stopped the tumours growing but shrunk them significantly as well.

The treatment works by modifying the genes in a way that effectively chokes off the fat supply the tumour needs to survive and grow and so it withers.

The drugs and the diet must be employed together, since either method on its own wont work, the researchers said.

We have found that tumours are often heavily reliant on specific fats and their products to fuel their growth and spread, and that denying them the ability to process these could be an effective treatment, said George Poulogiannis, of The Institute for Cancer Research.

Stopping a specific subtype of cancers from being able to release a key omega-6 fat known as arachidonic acid could be effective as a treatment, but only if sources of this fat are also cut out of the diet, he said.

The study, which also involved researchers from Imperial College London, was published in the journal Cell.

Scientists not involved in the work welcomed its findings but cautioned that much work remains to be done to demonstrate the treatment is safe and effective in humans.

Professor Paul Pharoah, of the University of Cambridge, said: The researchers have shown that this treatment/diet has an effect in mice, but that is a very long way from demonstrating that such treatment would be safe, acceptable or effective in humans.

Professor Graham Burdge, of the University of Southampton, added: This is an intriguing study although caution must be exercised in extrapolating these cell culture and animal studies to humans.

In the study, scientists found that a molecule called PI3K which is vital to the growth and survival of cancer cells has a key role in triggering the release of arachidonic acid, a key omega-6 fat.

PI3K is often mutated in many cancers, including breast, gynaecological and bowel cancers. The combination of drugs and diet effectively shut down its activities.

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Hopes raised for cancer treatment after experiments halted tumour growth in mice - iNews

While theres relief from lockdown mode now, actor Arshad Warsi is sort of thankful for the last three months that he got to spend at home. Why? He says the best thing that happened to him in the lockdown, was getting to spend time with his kids, son Zeke (15) and daughter Zene (13). Hence, he was fine with the situation.

I actually kind of enjoyed staying at home. I was busy with my kids and spent quality time with them. Theyre right at the age when you want to spend time with them, and very soon theyll have their own life and wont need me around, says the actor, who also spent time painting.

Then I was also reading scripts on a regular basis. The technology is so good, nothing has stopped. Everything was pretty much planned for once the lockdown got over, he adds.

While Unlock 1.0 is underway, many actors have claimed that the lockdown was actually the time when they got a break from their hectic lives. For Warsi, however, he has always ensured that he maintains a balance between work and home.

He says, Im not a workaholic, Im only crazy when Im on set, and work like a mad person. I do take offs, and dont work all the time. I like my space, and take holidays with kids. I dont stress or burden myself with work, and even go on bike rides.

The one thing, however, which the actor rues is he couldnt gorge on the delicious food his wife, chef Maria Goretti, whips up. He reveals that she was super busy throughout.

Her Instagram went crazy, people follow her recipes as she shows them very easy, do-able bread and cakes. Unfortunately, Im on a diet, I had said initially let me utilise this time, I need to go on a diet so Ive been off food. My kids are having a blast. When I go off diet, maybe Ill also start enjoying, he quips.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Arshad Warsi: Work didnt stop in lockdown, everything was planned for the moment it got over - Hindustan Times

By Wendy M. HenrichsBoard Certified Chiropractic Pediatrician and nutrition counselor

As some of the social distancing restrictions are lifted and we start interacting more, the state of your health has never been more important. Conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity, chronic lung disease and diabetes play a significant role in the severity of COVID-19 infections. Whether it is SARS CoV-2 or any other virus, your health as a potential host can be controlled. All these conditions are a result of a poor lifestyle and ultimately poor health. The good news is you can start today to change the state of your health.

Your diet or what you eat plays a key role in your overall state of health and the state of your waistline. Nearly 70% of Americans are overweight or obese. Obesity is a major risk factor for hospitalizations from COVID-19 especially in the younger age group. Obesity is linked to a wide range of inflammatory health problems such as diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. Obesity causes chronic low-grade inflammation and an increase in circulating, proinflammatory cytokines. Cytokines via the cytokine storm play a role in worst COVID-19 outcomes. All the chronic conditions noted in the graphic lead to inflammation. Diet also plays a large role in combating inflammation which is a silent suppressor of your immune system and your brain. You may be suffering from inflammation and not even know it.

Eating a diet rich in organic vegetables and fruits (check out http://www.ewg.org for the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen), organic meats and poultry, wild game, wild caught fish, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds will decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, as well as combat inflammation.

Exercise is another big winner in decreasing your risk for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease and aids in preventing inflammation.Exercising for 20 to 30 minutes per day and 150 minutes per week, is one of the best ways to prevent all forms of chronic inflammation.Exercising for only 20 minutes suppresses the production of cytokines, a compound that activates inflammation. Exercise can also prevent and reverse obesity. Exercise plays a key role in managing your stress hormone cortisol. We cannot remove all the stress from our lives, but exercise is an excellent way to manage it and you will also have the added benefit of preventing depression.

If you have one or more of the major risk factors related to poor outcomes, hospitalizations, and death from COVID-19 it is not too late to make a change. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store where the fresh and fresh-frozen items are located. Skip the processed foods, and foods with added sugar. Fill 2/3 of your plate with vegetables, 4-6 ounces of protein, and 1-2 tablespoons of good fats. Get up and move every day, working up to 150 minutes weekly, as every little bit counts. Strength train at least a couple of times each week with or without weights. Remember, it is never too late to make a shift in health.Dr. Wendy Henrichs is a board certified chiropractor and nutrition counselor at Timber Land Chiropractic in Rhinelander. Visit TimberlandChiropractic.com, Facebook, or call 715-362-4852.

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Beyond COVID-19: Health and immunity - Star Journal - Starjournalnow

A research team led by Francesca Luca, Ph.D., associate professor of Wayne State Universitys Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, has published a study that annotated environmental components that can increase or decrease disease risk through changes in gene expression in 43 genes that could exacerbate or buffer the genetic risk for cardiovascular disease. Their results highlight the importance of evaluating genetic risk in the context of gene-environment interactions to improve precision medicine.

Interpreting Coronary Artery Disease Risk Through GeneEnvironment Interactions in Gene Regulation was published in Genetics, the journal of the Genetics Society of America.

The study, said Dr. Luca, also of the WSU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, illustrates that combining genome-wide molecular data with large-scale population-based studies is a powerful approach to investigate how genes and the environment interact to influence risk of cardiovascular disease.

By identifying regions of DNA important for endothelial cell response to different common environmental exposures, the researchers discovered that caffeine can influence the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study demonstrates the potentially beneficial and/or detrimental effects of certain environmental exposures on the cardiovascular disease risk differ depending on individual DNA sequence.

The study focused on cardiovascular disease, Dr. Luca said, because it is the leading cause of death, both in the United States and worldwide. Also, the disease is highly multifactorial, with large contributions from both environmental and genetic risk factors. By treating endothelial cells under a controlled environment, we can discover how these genetic and environmental risk factors influence each other at the molecular level, she said. Our lab has developed expertise in cardiovascular research, with additional projects using endothelial cells to develop new assays to test the regulatory activity of genetic variants. The approach outlined in this paper can be applied to many different diseases; for example, our lab has also focused on how bacteria in the human gut affect gene expression in the colon, and also on the effect of psychosocial stress on asthma.

While the work identified regions of the genome important for how endothelial cells respond to the environment and can influence the risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers do not yet know exactly which genetic variants are directly responsible. A former graduate student, Cynthia Kalita, developed an assay to test thousands of genetic variants for gene regulatory activity. The researchers can test the variants discovered in their study using that assay to validate and explore the mechanisms by which they exert their effects, Dr. Luca said. They also are developing computational/statistical methods that can yield better personalized risk scores.

We have extended our approach to study cardiomyocytes, which are the muscle cells of the heart. Healthy heart tissue is difficult to obtain, so we have collaborated with researchers at the University of Chicago to derive cardiomyocytes from stem cells, Dr. Luca said. This will allow us to shift our focus from the vasculature to the heart itself, where we can study diseases like cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias.

As the cost of DNA sequencing continues to decrease, Dr. Luca expects that genetic testing will play a greater role in preventive health care. To fully realize the potential of precision medicine, we need to consider both genetic and environmental risk factors of disease, and how they interact. While there are already direct-to-consumer tests that prescribe an individualized diet based on DNA, these products currently offer no demonstrated clinical value. However, with very large numbers of individuals for whom we have both DNA sequencing and information on diet and lifestyle, we may one day be able to offer better recommendations.

Others involved in the study included Anthony Findley, an M.D./Ph.D. student; Allison Richards, Ph.D., a research scientist; Cristiano Petrini, of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Adnan Alazizi, lab manager; Elizabeth Doman, of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Alexander Shanku, Ph.D., research scientist; Gordon Davis, of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Nancy Hauff, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Yoram Sorokin, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Xiaoquan Wen, of the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan; and Roger Pique-Regi, Ph.D., associate professor of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, and of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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Researchers identify environmental components that affect gene expression in cardiovascular disease - The South End

Weve all seen Mike Tysons insane sparring videos. The 53-year-old is in phenomenal shape.

Theres no secret formula to Iron Mikes success he trains hard, eats right, and still does the same intense workouts he did in his younger days.

If the Mike Tyson way works for Mike Tyson, will it work for everyone?

YouTuber Will Tennyson wanted to find out.

Tennyson loves to follow training and eating regimens of famous athletes and actors and has done 24-hour challenges following Mark Wahlberg and bodybuilder Renaldo Gairys routines.

Tennysons plan was to eat just like Mike around 3,000-4,000 calories and do running, boxing technique training, and calisthenics to get into fighting shape.

His day started with a 4-mile jog at 4 am. Tyson likes to run early while his opponents are sleeping.

Tennyson completed the run and somehow managed to go back to bed until 10 am. How thats possible, I have no idea. Once Im up and the adrenaline kicks in after a run, Im not sleeping for a while.

After shoving down a breakfast of oatmeal, milk, and daily vitamins, Tennyson moves onto sparring training.

He completes 10 rounds of sparring for 2 minutes, each with a 45-second rest in between rounds.

After the 10 rounds, Tennyson moves to a high-rep, low-weight workout which includes:

2,000 squats 500 triceps extensions 500 pushups 500 shrugs with 30 kilos (65 pounds) 500 neck crunches

Tyson spreads out the workout throughout the day, and so does Tennyson, choosing to do 50 reps for his first session.

Lunch is 150 grams of white rice, a 9 oz. chicken breast, and a tall glass of orange juice. After lunch, its back to sparring.

After 6 more rounds, its time for a snack 6 bananas and a protein shake.

It seems a little bit overkill, admits the YouTuber, but I definitely need the carbs right now.

Tennyson finishes up the rest of the workout, eats a dinner of 9-ounce sirloin steak, pasta, and fruit juice.

The meal digests for a while, and Tennyson completes the final workout for the day 30 minutes on an exercise bike.

Im very sore. My neck is super stiff, and I know Im going to be feeling it for a few days after this, he admits.

[via Mens Health]

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Chris Illuminati is a 5-time published author and recovering a**hole who writes about running, parenting, and professional wrestling. Reach out to him on Instagram & Twitter.

Original post:
Guy Follows Mike Tysons Insane Diet And Workout Routine And One Of The Meals Includes 6 Bananas - BroBible