(Press-News.org) PULLMAN, Wash. – Scientists at Washington State University have concluded that nondigestible compounds in apples – specifically, Granny Smith apples – may help prevent disorders associated with obesity. The study, thought to be the first to assess these compounds in apple cultivars grown in the Pacific Northwest, appears in October's print edition of the journal Food Chemistry.
"We know that, in general, apples are a good source of these nondigestible compounds but there are differences in varieties," said food scientist Giuliana Noratto, the study's lead researcher. "Results from this study will help consumers to discriminate between apple varieties that can aid in the fight against obesity."
The tart green Granny Smith apples benefit the growth of friendly bacteria in the colon due to their high content of non-digestible compounds, including dietary fiber and polyphenols, and low content of available carbohydrates. Despite being subjected to chewing, stomach acid and digestive enzymes, these compounds remain intact when they reach the colon. Once there, they are fermented by bacteria in the colon, which benefits the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut.
The study showed that Granny Smith apples surpass Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Red Delicious in the amount of nondigestible compounds they contain.
"The nondigestible compounds in the Granny Smith apples actually changed the proportions of fecal bacteria from obese mice to be similar to that of lean mice," Noratto said.
The discovery could help prevent some of the disorders associated with obesity such as low-grade, chronic inflammation that can lead to diabetes. The balance of bacterial communities in the colon of obese people is disturbed. This results in microbial byproducts that lead to inflammation and influence metabolic disorders associated with obesity, Noratto said.
"What determines the balance of bacteria in our colon is the food we consume," she said.
Re-establishing a healthy balance of bacteria in the colon stabilizes metabolic processes that influence inflammation and the sensation of feeling satisfied, or satiety, she said.
INFORMATION:
An apple a day could keep obesity away
Granny Smiths promote friendly bacteria
2014-09-30
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
A 'frenemy' in Parkinson's disease takes to crowdsourcing
2014-09-30
The protein alpha-synuclein is a well-known player in Parkinson's disease and other related neurological conditions, such as dementia with Lewy bodies. Its normal functions, however, have long remained unknown. An enticing mystery, say researchers, who contend that understanding the normal is critical in resolving the abnormal.
Alpha-synuclein typically resides at presynaptic terminals – the communication hubs of neurons where neurotransmitters are released to other neurons. In previous studies, Subhojit Roy, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of California, San ...
Radiation risks should be considered and discussed before heart imaging
2014-09-29
Before undergoing heart imaging procedures involving radiation, healthcare providers should help patients understand why the procedure is needed and its potential benefits and risks, including risks related to radiation exposure, according to a new scientific statement in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
"With technological improvements, medical imaging has become an increasingly vital tool in diagnosing and treating patients with heart disease, but the rising use of the tests has led to increasing radiation exposure over the past two decades," said ...
Study finds information lacking from FDA on implanted medical devices
2014-09-29
Information is lacking on most implanted medical devices cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration despite a legal requirement that companies submit scientific evidence about the devices' substantial equivalence to other devices already on the market.
Under what is known as the 510(k) review, the FDA clears about 400 implanted medical devices without clinical testing each year for market that are considered moderate to high risk. The FDA has a process that requires the applicant to provide scientific evidence that the new device is "substantially equivalent" ...
AAN: Risks of opioids outweigh benefits for headache, low back pain, other conditions
2014-09-29
MINNEAPOLIS – According to a new position statement from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the risk of death, overdose, addiction or serious side effects with prescription opioids outweigh the benefits in chronic, non-cancer conditions such as headache, fibromyalgia and chronic low back pain. The position paper is published in the September 30, 2014, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Opioids, or narcotics, are pain medications including morphine, codeine, oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl, hydrocodone or a combination ...
Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics before age 2 associated with obesity risk
2014-09-29
Bottom Line: The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics by children before the age of 24 months was associated with increased risk of obesity in early childhood.
Author: L. Charles Bailey, M.D., Ph.D., of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues.
Background: Obesity is a major public health problem. Previous research suggests intestinal microflora may be associated with obesity, and antibiotic exposure may affect microbial diversity and composition.
How the Study Was Conducted: The authors used electronic health records spanning from 2001 to 2013 from ...
Healthy fats help diseased heart muscle process and use fuel
2014-09-29
Oleate, a common dietary fat found in olive oil, restored proper metabolism of fuel in an animal model of heart failure.
The findings are reported in the journal Circulation by researchers at University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine.
Heart failure affects nearly 5 million Americans, and more than half a million new cases are diagnosed each year. Heart failure is not the same as having a heart attack -- it is a chronic disease state where the heart becomes enlarged, or hypertrophic, in response to chronic high blood pressure which requires it to work harder ...
BUSM researchers identify brain changes involved in alcohol-related sleep disturbances
2014-09-29
(Boston) – A review article published online in Behavioral Brain Research provides novel insight into changes that happen in the brain as a result of chronic alcohol exposure that can lead to disruptions in the sleep cycle.
Clinical assessments and research indicate that individuals with alcohol use disorders frequently suffer from severely disrupted sleep. This can occur when people are actively drinking, when they are going through withdrawal or when they are abstaining.
"Sleep-wake disturbances can last for months, or even years, after someone stops drinking, which ...
Glaciers in the Grand Canyon of Mars?
2014-09-29
Boulder, Colo., USA – For decades, planetary geologists have speculated that glaciers might once have crept through Valles Marineris, the 2000-mile-long chasm that constitutes the Grand Canyon of Mars. Using satellite images, researchers have identified features that might have been carved by past glaciers as they flowed through the canyons; however, these observations have remained highly controversial and contested.
Now, a joint team from Bryn Mawr College and the Freie Universitaet Berlin has identified what could be the first mineralogical evidence of past glaciers ...
At the interface of math and science
2014-09-29
In popular culture, mathematics is often deemed inaccessible or esoteric. Yet in the modern world, it plays an ever more important role in our daily lives and a decisive role in the discovery and development of new ideas — often behind the scenes.
UC Santa Barbara's Paul Atzberger, a professor in the Department of Mathematics and an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, often works in areas where science and math intersect. Some of his recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) and featured on the cover of the journal ...
Newborn Tropical Storm Phanfone triggers warnings in Northwestern Pacific
2014-09-29
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over newborn Tropical Storm Phanfone on Sept. 29 and captured a picture of the storm that showed thunderstorms wrapped tightly around the storm's center, and a large band of thunderstorms spiraling into the center from the east. Phanfone is now a threat to various islands and warnings are in effect.
A tropical storm Warning is in effect for Saipan, Tinian, Pagan and Alamagan. In addition, a typhoon watch is in effect for the northern Marianas Islands, including Pagan and Alamagan.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Hanbat National University researchers present new technique to boost solid oxide fuel cell performance
Even short school breaks affect student learning unevenly across socioeconomic backgrounds
When words matter: Language and culture shape early childhood outcomes
UBC enzyme technology clears first human test toward universal donor organs for transplantation
Birds’ vocal warnings provide new insight into the origins of language
Breakthrough results from elephant herpesvirus trial find vaccine to be safe
Final step in the biosynthesis of iridoids elucidated
New antibiotic targets IBD — and AI predicted how it would work before scientists could prove it
Glioblastomas affect much more than just the brain
Researchers uncover why mental maps fade with age
New mechanism revealed: How leukemia cells trick the immune system
Genetic map reveals influence of DNA on metabolism
Researchers use ultrasound holograms to influence brain networks
Unique videos show how trawling restrictions brings back life to the sea
Whooping cough can be fatal in young infants, experts warn
Knee-d for excellence: New regional training hub keeps surgeons sharp for ageing population
The Lancet: Billions lack access to healthy diets as food systems drive climate and health crises, but sustainable, equitable solutions are within reach, says new EAT-Lancet report
Countries with highest reported levels of hearing loss have lowest use of hearing aids
Early medical abortion at home up to 12 weeks is safe, effective, and comparable to hospital care
New approach to gravitational wave detection opens the Milli-Hz Frontier
Rice membrane extracts lithium from brines with greater speed, less waste
Exercise lowers disease risk. This researcher wants to understand how
Hurricane evacuation patterns differ based on where the storm hits
Stem Cell Reports welcomes new members to its Editorial Board
Researchers develop molecular qubits that communicate at telecom frequencies
Mayo Clinic awarded up to $40 million by ARPA-H for pioneering air safety research
People with Down syndrome have early neuroinflammation
CNIO researchers create the “human repairome”, a catalogue of DNA “scars” that will help define personalized cancer treatments
Strengthening biosecurity screening for genes that encode proteins of concern
Global wildfire disasters are growing in frequency and cost
[Press-News.org] An apple a day could keep obesity awayGranny Smiths promote friendly bacteria