Healthy Food And Reasonable Body Weight Does Not Prevent Development Of Type 2 Diabetes!
I think we all accept that changes in insulin levels over time predispose people to the development of type II diabetes and that this is often accompanied by the central adiposity that distinguishes the metabolic syndrome morphology we have come to look for.
This study, published in PLOS One this year (2010), suggests that besides these clinical indications another slightly less obvious change to body mass affects insulin resistance and increases risk of diabetes.[1]
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Fat to Thin Quenches Inflammation!
There are numerous benefits related to maintaining a healthy body mass and apart from personal comfort and self esteem the reduction of excess fatty tissues has been proven to show a great deal of change in circulating markers of inflammation. Pro inflammatory cytokines are understood to be involved with a wide range of adverse health conditions and it is generally accepted that managing to keep these low molecular weight molecules in a state of balance will provide benefits to all tissues in the body – including the brain.
Two types of cytokine in particular are related to obesity – IL-6 and TNF-α and raised levels will undoubtedly have adverse effects and reduce capacity for a healthy life. This study out in GUT demonstrates that excessive weight loss is an effective anti-inflammatory strategy.[1]
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Antioxidants prevent health-promoting effects of physical exercise in humans
Abstract: Exercise promotes longevity and ameliorates type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. However, exercise also increases mitochondrial formation of presumably harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS). Antioxidants are widely used as supplements but whether they affect the health-promoting effects of exercise is unknown. We evaluated the effects of a combination of vitamin C (1000 mg/day) and vitamin E (400 IU/day) on insulin sensitivity as measured by glucose infusion rates (GIR) during a hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp in previously untrained (n = 19) and pretrained (n = 20) healthy young men. Before and after a 4 week intervention of physical exercise, GIR was determined, and muscle biopsies for gene expression analyses as well as plasma samples were obtained to compare changes over baseline and potential influences of vitamins on exercise effects.
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The immune system is prone to the same grave misfortunes as any defense system handling weapons: collateral damage that comes with the destruction of the enemy on one’s own territory and friendly fire due to mistaken identity. Whereas the collateral damage is the price we pay for clearance of infections, autoimmunity is a pathological process. Nevertheless, the effector mechanisms involved in both processes are the same. Whether environment can be a cause, a trigger or an amplifier of an autoimmune disease are questions that are being intensively investigated.
