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🍵Grab a cuppa and settle in, let's debunk diet myths and simplify nutrition science so you can make smarter food choices.

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Today’s menu:

🫘 Explained: The link between flaxseed, gut health, and breast cancer

🙊 Think Before You Fast: is fasting good for you?

🥦 Broccoli Sprouts: A Glimmer of Hope for Crohn's disease?

🫘 Explained: The link between flaxseed, gut health, and breast cancer

A groundbreaking new study sheds light on a potential link between our gut microbiome and breast health.

Researchers found a correlation between flaxseed-rich diets, specific gut bacteria compositions, and altered molecular profiles within the mammary gland that regulate gene expression, particularly those involved in cell proliferation and migration – key processes in cancer development.

The secret weapon in flaxseed? Lignans!

These indigestible, fiber-like compounds, are abundant in flax seeds but present in various other foods too. Undigested by our bodies, lignans are fermented in the large intestine, releasing metabolically active molecules that appear to have anti-tumour properties.

🥊 Punchline

This study, conducted in mice, serves as a powerful reminder of the intricate dance between our gut microbiota and overall health. It also reinforces the wisdom of embracing whole, unprocessed foods, preserving the valuable fiber and other beneficial compounds often stripped away during processing.

Should these findings translate to humans, the gut microbiome could emerge as a novel target for breast cancer prevention through dietary interventions.

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🙊 Think Before You Fast: is fasting good for you?

Fasting has many benefits, including better metabolic, gut and cognitive health.

But researchers investigated whether these benefits translate equally to young and older bodies.

Using fish as a model, the study revealed that fasting in older individuals did not produce the same positive effects as observed in younger ones. Specifically, the researchers found that after fasting, the abdominal fat of older fish remained locked in a "fasting mode" even when food became available.

This suggests that older fish become highly defensive of their fat reserves when faced with perceived scarcity. Consequently, their energy metabolism slowed down, protein synthesis decreased, and fat tissue turnover stalled.

In simpler terms, fasting seemed to put the fat tissue of older fish in a perpetual state of deprivation.

🥊 Punchline

While this study explored the impact of fasting in fish, it offers a thought-provoking glimpse into the complex interplay between age, fasting, and health. Although definitive conclusions about humans remain elusive, these findings underscore that dietary interventions are not a one-size-fits-all solution and that age likely plays a crucial role in their effectiveness.

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🥦 Broccoli Sprouts: A Glimmer of Hope for Crohn's disease?

Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), disrupts gut health and dysregulates the immune system, leading to a multitude of complications.

But diets rich in fiber may offer hope by reducing flare-ups and improving quality of life for individuals with Crohn's.

Using a mouse model, researchers explored whether the anti-inflammatory compounds naturally found in cruciferous vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, could influence gut bacteria composition and alleviate Crohn's symptoms.

Mice were fed diets supplemented with up to 10% broccoli sprouts, compared to a standard control group.

The study yielded 2 major findings:

1. Mice on the broccoli sprout diet exhibited higher levels of anti-inflammatory compounds in their blood, resulting in protection from severe symptoms like weight loss, bloody stools, and diarrhea.

2. Younger mice had the best response to the broccoli sprout diet, experiencing milder symptoms and boasting richer, more diverse gut microbial communities.

🥊 Punchline

For individuals with Crohn's, the constant need for dietary and lifestyle adjustments is a significant burden. Additionally, current medical treatments can be expensive and come with substantial side effects. If these findings translate to humans, a high-fiber diet incorporating broccoli sprouts could offer an affordable, accessible, and simple dietary strategy to alleviate the burden of symptoms.

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And finally!

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To your health!

Paolo

Hungry for more reading?

Why not read the most read articles?

Issue no. 14: Why do we keep eating even when we’re full?

Issue no. 9: A link between gut health and Alzheimer's confirmed!

Issue no. 7: How to snack without sabotaging your diet

Issue no. 6: Eat the rainbow: The importance of plant diversity for all diets