💪 Boosting muscle health: Less meals per day, but higher in protein?

Reduced meal frequency have become popular for weight loss and improving overall health.

However, the concern for middle-age and older adults is greater protein breakdown because of extended fasting periods in between meals and higher protein needs with age.

New research explored the effect of two-meal day (two high protein meals eaten within a 9 h window) on protein and muscle status in middle-age and older adults.

The two high-protein meal pattern (1.5 g/kg/day) increased net protein balance when compared to normal intake (0.8 g/kg/day) or government recommended intake (1.1 g/kg/day).

This means the rate at which protein (and likely muscle) was made exceeded the rate at which protein was broken down.

The greater net protein balance when eating 1.5 g/kg/day across 2 meals a day was achieved despite exceeding the amount of dietary protein (∼0.4 g/kg/meal) known to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis in a single meal.

These findings are important because lower muscle mass and strength in older adults increases the risk of sarcopenia.

🥊 Punchline

Higher protein intake might be beneficial for middle-aged and older adults, even when following a reduced meal frequency pattern and exceeding recommended protein intake by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

💊 Coming off antidepressants: Can probiotics be a promising alternative?

Use of antidepressants in treating major depression (MDD) can come with severe side effects, such as obesity.

Some studies compared the use of antidepressants versus gut-targeted interventions (prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics) for the treatment of MDD in adults.

A review of these studies found that:

• Probiotics outperformed several antidepressants, including venlafaxine, duloxetine, and citalopram, and were noninferior to others. They ranked second only to escitalopram in efficacy.

• Long-term probiotic treatment (≥8 weeks) demonstrated tolerability comparable with antidepressants, with fewer associated side effects or social stigmas.

• Probiotics offer versatility in MDD management, either in addition to conventional treatments or as a standalone therapy.

A watch out is moderate to low certainty of evidence, signalling the need for more robust studies.

🥊 Punchline

Gut-targeted therapies may be effective in addition to or standalone therapy for treating major depression in adults, particularly for patients seeking alternatives to pharmacological interventions.

🔫 Exposure to common weed killer increases risk of neuro degenerative disease

Glyphosate is a chemical widely used in weed killers, such as RoundUp.

Glyphosate use continues to rise and so research is beginning to understand the impact of this herbicide and its by-products on neurodegenerative diseases.

For the first time, new research in mice shows that the by-products of glyphosate breakdown were detected in the brain after brief exposure to and recovery period from glyphosate administration.

Exposure to glyphosate induced lasting damage and increased inflammation to the brain, which persisted after direct exposure ended.

In mice with already Alzheimer’s-disease, glyphosate exposure worsened Alzheimer’s associated cognitive deficits.

It is becoming clearer that by-products of glyphosate breakdown can accumulate and may contribute to neuroimmune function.

There is also the possibility is that glyphosate exposure may have initiated chronic inflammation that continues for months. While inflammation is a necessary part of the body’s immune response, prolonged neuroinflammation can be detrimental to the body and brain.

The full mechanism is not known yet and more research is needed.

🥊 Punchline

Emerging research indicates that glyphosate exposure may contribute to lasting brain damage and inflammation, potentially worsening conditions like Alzheimer's disease.