Health
According to a study conducted by Iranian scientists, aerobic training or training with weights helps in the treatment of fatty liver. The scientists investigated the effects of aerobic training, training with weights (at best with supplements) or no training on the fat content of the liver and the levels of liver enzymes. The aerobic training consisted of 45 minutes of endurance training, while the training with weights consisted of sets of 10 repetitions of seven exercises.
Both forms of training reduced the fat content of the liver and improved body composition and liver enzyme profile in middle-aged people suffering from fatty liver. Fatty liver, which is characterized by fat accumulation in the liver, is usually caused by obesity or excessive alcohol consumption.
Training with weights or aerobic exercise are effective ways to treat this health problem.
(Hepatitis Monthly, 15(10): e31434, 2015)
According to a study conducted under the direction of Jean-Pierre Pelletier of the Rheumatology Research Institute in Montreal, Canada, chondroitin sulfate was superior to the anti-inflammatory drug Celebrex in reducing pain in the knee joint and preventing wear and tear of the joints associated with osteoarthritis.
Chondroitin effectively delayed the progression of the disease while improving functional capacity and relieving pain. Patients participating in the study took either 1,200 milograms of chondroitin sulfate or 200 mg of the drug Celebrex per day over a two-year period. Chondroitin had the best long-term effect on the progression of arthritis, with both treatments effectively reducing symptoms.
(A paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Rheumatology in 2015)
Fatty liver is a common problem associated with the obesity epidemic. Fatty liver can cause chronic fatigue, weakness, nausea, water retention, jaundice and liver failure. The problem has been linked to obesity, a lack of choline in the diet, excessive alcohol consumption and overtraining. High levels of fructose increase blood lipid levels (triglycerides), which can flood the liver with fat and cause fatty liver.
There is no effective treatment. Changes in diet could alter the course of the disease.
Elena Papamiltiadous and colleagues from La Trobe University in Australia, presented a proposal for a clinical trial that would measure the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the risk of type 2 diabetes. They have registered the study as a clinical trial in New Zealand and plan to start this study soon.
There are ways to prevent risk and support health.
(BMC Gastroenterology, 16: 14, 2016)
Serious diseases such as cancer and AIDS, trauma from injury or accident, or sepsis (whole-body response to infection) result in a rapid decrease in muscle mass caused by chemicals such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) that promote inflammation. TNF slows protein synthesis and has also been linked to some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's, cancer, depression and inflammatory bowel disease. Health should be supported.
According to a study conducted with mice by scientists from Belgium, endurance training could protect the body from TNF. The scientists compared the effects of TNF injections in trained and untrained mice. The effects of TNF were lower in the endurance-trained mice.
Endurance training could protect the body from the effects of body-wide inflammation triggered by TNF.
(Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48: 227 - 234, 2016)
Metabolic syndrome is a group of health problems that include high blood pressure, insulin resistance (high blood sugar levels in a fasting state), abdominal fat deposits and abnormal blood lipid levels. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. It affects 34 percent of the population and the incidence increases with age. Diet and exercise are the best treatments for this disease.
Ricardo Mora-Rodriguez and colleagues from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain found that the combination of aerobic interval training and a calorie-restricted diet improved body mass index, reduced abdominal fat compared to the control group, improved hemoglobin A1C (marker for blood sugar control) levels, lowered LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol levels, increased maximal oxygen consumption and exercise capacity, and reduced the number of risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome. Another group that first exercised and then dieted also improved numerous health factors.
Metabolic syndrome is a serious health problem - especially in the United States. Lifestyle modifications could result in significant improvements. These health effects can be prevented.
(International Journal Sports Medicine, published online December 4, 2015)
