Effects of supplementation with essential amino acids on intrahepatic lipid concentrations during fructose overfeeding in humans1,2,3

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: November 3, 2012

A high dietary protein intake has been shown to blunt the deposition of intrahepatic lipids in high-fat- and high-carbohydrate-fed rodents and humans.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of essential amino acid supplementation on the increase in hepatic fat content induced by a high-fructose diet in healthy subjects.

Design: Nine healthy male volunteers were studied on 3 occasions in a randomized, crossover design after 6 d of dietary intervention. Dietary conditions consisted of a weight-maintenance balanced diet (control) or the same balanced diet supplemented with 3 g fructose · kg⁻¹ · d⁻¹and 6.77 g of a mixture of 5 essential amino acids 3 times/d (leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, and threonine) (HFrAA) or with 3 g fructose · kg⁻¹ · d⁻¹ and a maltodextrin placebo 3 times/d (HFr); there was a washout period of 4 to 10 wk between each condition. For each condition, the intrahepatocellular lipid (IHCL) concentration, VLDL-triglyceride concentration, and VLDL-[¹³C]palmitate production were measured after oral loading with [¹³C]fructose. Read more

Four pioneers explain the exciting promise of their research.

OBSSR:  10/22/12

Brian Wansink
Professor at Cornell University, discusses how a lot of eating habits can be changed by changing the environment in which people encounter food; moving the office candy dish farther away, for example, or serving meals on smaller plates. Engaging in “solutions-based research,” Wansink and his team are looking for ways to “de-convenience” food so that people learn to make conscious and more thoughtful choices about the foods they consume.

Carl Lejuez
Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Director of the Center for Addictions, Personality & Emotional Research, discusses translational research – studying the basic internal processes that lead people to addictive behaviors. According to Lejuez, if we can show why these behaviors are happening, we can develop novel treatments that approach each individual in a more precise way and help them back on the road to a full and valued life. Read more

What Next after Metformin? A Retrospective Evaluation of the Outcome of Second-Line, Glucose-Lowering Therapies in People with Type 2 Diabetes

GLOBAL GUIDELINE FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES

International Diabetes Federation: 10/17/12

There is now extensive evidence on the optimal management of diabetes, offering the opportunity of improving the immediate and long-term quality of life of those with diabetes.

Unfortunately such optimal management is not reaching many, perhaps the majority, of the people who could benefit. Reasons include the size and complexity of the evidence-base, and the complexity of diabetes care itself. One result is a lack of proven cost-effective resources for diabetes care. Another result is diversity of standards of clinical practice.

Guidelines are one part of a process which seeks to address those problems. Many guidelines have appeared internationally, nationally, and more locally in recent years, but most of these have not used the rigorous new guideline methodologies for identification and analysis of the evidence. Read more

Psoriasis and the Risk of Diabetes Mellitus

JAMA: 10/15/12

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

To compare the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus between patients with psoriasis and those without psoriasis.

Data Sources  MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews between January 1, 1980, and January 1, 2012.

Study Selection  Observational (cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional) studies published in English that compared the prevalence or incidence of diabetes among patients with psoriasis with individuals serving as controls.

Data Extraction  Two independent investigators extracted the data. The quality of evidence was assessed using a 6-point scale. Read more

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) volatile oil inhibits key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes

Informahealthcare: November 11, 2012

Anti-diabetic capacity of Curcuma longa volatile oil in terms of its ability to inhibit glucosidase activities was evaluated. Turmeric volatile oils inhibited glucosidase enzymes more effectively than the reference standard drug acarbose. Drying of rhizomes was found to enhance α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 1.32–0.38 μg/ml) and α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 64.7–34.3 μg/ml) inhibitory capacities of volatile oils. Ar-Turmerone, the major volatile component in the rhizome also showed potent α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 0.28 μg) and α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 24.5 μg) inhibition. Read More

The relationship between dietary advanced glycation end products and indicators of diabetes severity in Mexicans and non-Hispanic whites: a pilot study

Informahealthcare:  7/10/12

Diet is an important source of exogenous advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Dietary AGEs content depends on nutrient composition and on the way food is processed/cooked. The objective of our study was to compare AGEs intake of two different ethnic groups (Mexicans and non-Hispanic whites) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and to study the relationship between dietary AGEs and diabetes-related complications. Complications were self-reported by subjects (n = 65) and categorized according to a published DM disease severity index as low risk or moderate-high risk. Dietary records for 10 days were used to estimate dietary AGEs from a published food table. Non-Hispanic whites had higher intake of dietary AGEs (natural logarithm was used, LogAGEs) when compared with Mexicans, which was consistent with their higher intake of saturated fat. In addition, for each unit increase in the LogAGEs, a participant was 3.7 times more likely to have moderate-high risk for cardiovascular disease. Read More