Newsbites: Inflammatory gut microbes; Vitamin D; Dementia
Food Choices May Increase Inflammatory Gut Microbes
The bacteria that live in our gut have a critical role in helping or hurting our health. A new study found intake of some foods was consistently associated with the presence of “bad” bacteria, and others with “good” bacteria.
The researchers examined bacteria in the stool of over 1,400 individuals in the Netherlands and compared this with selfreported food intake. A little less than half the participants had a diagnosed digestive disorder (inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome), and the rest were representative of the general population. Overall, processed foods, animal products, sugar, and fast food were consistently associated with the presence of more “bad” bacteria—those likely to produce endotoxins that damage the gut’s mucus layer—whereas higher intake of minimally processed plant foods and fish was associated with bacteria species involved in healthier nutrient metabolism and the production of beneficial compounds. This study supports a growing body of evidence that feeding ourselves—and our gut bacteria—well is an important pathway for good health.
Insufficient Evidence for Universal Vitamin D Screening
A new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) report has concluded there is not currently enough evidence to officially recommend screening vitamin D levels of healthy individuals. Over the last two decades, observational research has found that people with even moderately low vitamin D levels have higher risk for a range of diseases. This finding led to major increases in blood vitamin D testing, and many people were told to take vitamin D supplements. But dozens of large clinical trials have since shown that giving vitamin D supplements to generally healthy people has no effects on their health, even when they start with “insufficient” vitamin D levels and even when their blood vitamin D levels rise into “optimal” levels.
The Task Force’s review of all available research did not find any significant benefit of vitamin D treatment on mortality, bone fractures, falls, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular events, depression, physical functioning, or infection in asymptomatic adults with low vitamin D levels. (This new report is consistent with prior USPSTF recommendations that did not support use of vitamin D supplements for bone health in generally healthy men or women.)
Most of us should simply aim to get our vitamin D from the most powerful source— regular exposure to sunlight—and from food. The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 600 International Units (IU) up to age 70 and 800 IU for ages 70 and older (for most people, 15 to 20 minutes daily in a short-sleeve shirt). Good dietary sources include fatty fish (such as trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel), mushrooms grown with UV light, and foods with added vitamin D, like milk and fortified plant-based milk substitutes, juices, and breakfast cereals. For people with true vitamin D deficiency or specific disease conditions, supplements may be useful, under the guidance of a healthcare provider.
Getting Enough Sleep May Help Prevent Dementia
A new study found that, compared to getting seven hours of sleep a night, routinely getting six or less hours was associated with a 30 percent higher likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia nearly three decades later. The study used sleep data from surveys filled out six times by nearly 8,000 individuals between 1985 and 2016. By the end of the study, 521 people had been diagnosed with dementia at an average age of 77.
Dementia is known to disrupt sleep patterns, so it has been difficult to tease out whether insufficient sleep is a contributing cause—or an effect— of dementia. This large study from Britain analyzed data collected for about 25 years, starting when participants were young enough (around 50) that it is less likely pre-dementia brain changes had already begun.
As an observational study, this cannot prove that better sleep prevents dementia. Many factors contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. There is currently no treatment for these devastating conditions. Research-backed behavioral changes—including consuming a healthy dietary pattern, engaging in regular physically activity, and getting adequate sleep—have all been associated with delaying onset or slowing progression of dementia.
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