Substituting pure maple syrup for refined sugars may reduce several cardiometabolic risk factors in humans: Study

A new study published in the The Journal of Nutrition, found that substituting two tablespoons of pure maple syrup for refined sugars reduced several cardiometabolic risk factors in humans. It was the first placebo-controlled clinical trial exploring potential health benefits of maple syrup in humans.

“We know from decades of research that maple syrup is more than just sugar. It contains over 100 natural compounds, including polyphenols, that are known to prevent disease in part through their anti-inflammatory effects,” remarked Dr. André Marette, PhD, and lead scientist on the study. “Because the fundamental chemistry of maple syrup is unique, I wondered if ingesting maple syrup instead of an equivalent amount of refined sugar would differently impact the cardiometabolic health and the intestinal microbiota in humans. The results were extremely encouraging. I did not expect to see so many improvements of risk factors within a relatively short treatment period.”

The study was conducted by a Laval University team led by Dr. André Marette, PhD, at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute and Dr. Marie-Claude Vohl, PhD, at the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods.

Study Protocol

Forty-two volunteers from the greater Québec city area, between the ages of 18-75 in good health, and with a BMI of 23-40, participated in the study. Participants substituted 5% of their daily caloric intake (corresponding to 2 tablespoons) from refined sugars with either Canadian maple syrup or an artificially flavored sucrose syrup. Each phase lasted 8 weeks with participants switching between maple syrup and sucrose syrup groups after a four-week washout period. The cross-over design ensured that the same test subject was his or her own control, consuming both placebo and maple syrup. Primary outcomes focused on the oral glucose tolerance test, the OGTT. Secondary outcomes included changes in blood lipid profile, blood pressure, body fat composition (measured by DEXA scan) and changes in gut microbiota composition.

Maple, the Smarter Sweetener, Improves Multiple Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Blood Sugar Lowered

Study participants who consumed pure maple syrup had an improved response to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) than those who received a flavored syrup of refined sugar. Their bodies managed blood sugar levels better after eating (-50.59 vs. +29.93).

Blood Pressure Lowered

Blood pressure was also lowered in the subjects who consumed maple syrup during the trial. Systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the maple syrup group (-2.72 mm Hg) while it increased slightly in the sucrose group (+0.87 mm Hg). “Lowering blood pressure continues to be an important factor in lessening the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Marette commented. “Natural sweeteners, such as pure maple syrup, when substituted for refined sugars, can be part of an overall solution in helping to prevent metabolic diseases.”

Abdominal Fat Reduced

Visceral fat is the deep fat that wraps around the internal organs in your belly. It can increase an individual’s risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. The maple syrup trial showed that android fat mass, the fat in the abdominal region, significantly decreased in the maple syrup group as compared to an increase in the group consuming the sucrose solution (-7.83 g vs. +67.61 g).

Healthier Gut

An unexpected discovery was the improved levels of potentially beneficial gut bacteria and a decrease in levels of potentially harmful gut bacteria in the maple syrup participants. The study showed a reduction in Klebsiella species and Bacteroides pectinophilus, which are linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders, and the increased growth of beneficial bacteria like Lactocaseibacillus casei and Clostridium beijerinckii.

“Both individually and collectively, the study findings are quite significant,” Dr. Marette noted. “The combined decrease of such key risk factors may help to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Making a commitment to lifestyle changes and small adjustments to our everyday diets is important and can be a powerful tool in preventing future diseases.”

According to one participant: “Before the study, I would consume pure maple products regularly but not consistently. I have always enjoyed it. Today my routine is to replace refined sugars with 2 tablespoons of pure Canadian maple syrup daily.”

First Human Trial Builds Upon American Researcher’s Cellular and Animal StudiesNavindra P. Seeram,

Dr. Marette’s clinical study builds upon his own work in animal models of diabetes and previous work on maple syrup and its bioactives by American scientist  PhD, of the University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy. Dr. Seeram’s extensive foundational work with maple syrup set the stage for this first human clinical trial. “With each new study, we learn more benefits that natural products from medicinal plants and functional foods, like maple syrup, provide.” noted Dr. Seeram. “The significant promising results of this first human trial provide more reasons for us to educate consumers about maple syrup’s many health benefits. It is truly a ‘smarter sweetener’ and a healthier alternative to refined sugar.”

“While this study was limited to a relatively small sample size (42 men and women) and took place during a relatively short duration of time, the results are still significant,” Dr. Marette remarked. “We now have human evidence to support replacing refined sugars with maple syrup, a natural sweetener, for preventing metabolic diseases. Our next goal is to conduct larger studies with other populations to explore how replacing refined sugars with maple syrup might impact their unique health conditions.”

General nutrition claims for 2 tablespoons of maple syrup:

• Excellent source of manganese (35%).

• Good source of riboflavin (15%).

• Source of calcium (2%), thiamin (2%), potassium (2%) and copper (8%).

• It contains 12% fewer calories than in light corn syrup.

• By comparison, refined sugar requires a large amount of processing and therefore lacks any real nutritional value. 

Reference:

Arianne Morissette, Anne-Laure Agrinier, Théo Gignac, Lamia Ramadan, Khoudia Diop, Julie Marois, Thibault V Varin, Geneviève Pilon, Serge Simard, Éric Larose, Claudia Gagnon, Benoit J Arsenault, Jean-Pierre Després, Anne-Marie Carreau, Marie-Claude Vohl, André Marette, Substituting Refined Sugars With Maple Syrup Decreases Key Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Individuals With Mild Metabolic Alterations: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Crossover Trial, The Journal of Nutrition, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.08.014.

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Prenatal SSRI Exposure Increases Risk of Functional Constipation: Study

Prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been related to an increased risk of functional constipation in children, according to researchers. A recent Danish study was conducted by Kildegaard and colleagues which was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Previous preclinical data suggested that serotonin is critical for the development of the gut because it regulates gut innervation and colonic motility. The objective of this population-based study conducted by using Danish registries was to investigate the relationship between maternal SSRI use during pregnancy and disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) in offspring.

All single-birth children from Denmark born between 1997 and 2015 were included in the study with follow-up until a diagnosis of DGBI, 15 years of age, death, emigration, or to the end of December 2018. The cohort was divided into two: the SSRI-exposed group and the unexposed group.

  • SSRI-exposed group: Children whose mothers took SSRI during pregnancy.

  • The unexposed group: Children whose mothers stopped taking SSRI before their pregnancy.

Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the risk of developing DGBI, including functional nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain disorders, functional diarrhea, and functional constipation. Laxative use prescribed by physicians was also included as an indicator of functional constipation.

Key Findings

The study analyzed a total of 1,158,560 children, of whom:

  • 21,969 children (1.9%) were exposed to SSRIs prenatally.

  • 30,174 children (2.6%) were born to mothers who discontinued SSRIs before pregnancy.

The 15-year cumulative incidence of any DGBI was:

  • 15.5% (95% CI, 14.9–16.2%) in the SSRI-exposed group.

  • 14.7% (95% CI, 14.0–15.3%) in the unexposed group.

  • SSRI-exposed children had an 8% higher overall risk of DGBI (HR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02–1.14).

  • SSRI-exposed children had a 19% higher risk of functional constipation (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.10–1.28).

No significant associations were found for other DGBIs:

  • Functional nausea and vomiting: HR 0.97 (95% CI: 0.83–1.13).

  • Functional abdominal pain disorders: HR 0.90 (95% CI: 0.81–1.00).

In conclusion, this large population-based study demonstrated an association between prenatal exposure to SSRIs and an increased risk of functional constipation in children. These results support preclinical evidence emphasizing the role of serotonin in gut development and function. These findings underscore the importance of further research into long-term consequences of maternal SSRI use on offspring gastrointestinal health.

Reference:

Kildegaard, H., Bliddal, M., Ernst, M.T. et al. Prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of disorders of gut-brain interaction in children. Mol Psychiatry (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02848-3

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Intralesional corticosteroids remain effective treatment option for patchy Alopecia areata: Study

Intralesional corticosteroids remain an effective treatment option for patchy Alopecia areata, reveals research published in the Archives of Dermatological Research.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disorder characterized by nonscarring hair loss. The management of Alopecia areata poses challenges due to its unpredictable course and variable response to treatment. In this comparative study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of oral apremilast, intralesional corticosteroids (ILC) and a combination of both in patients with patchy Alopecia areata. Sixty patients with patchy Alopecia areatawere randomly assigned to three treatment groups: oral apremilast (Group A), ILC (Group B), and a combination of both (Group C). The Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score was used to assess the extent of hair loss before treatment, after 3 months, and at 6 months of follow-up. Adverse events and complications were also monitored. The changes in SALT score from baseline between the three groups were assessed by using non-parametric statistical tests. The statistical significance was judged at 5% level of significance. Results: Findings demonstrated significant higher reduction in median SALT scores after treatment i.e., 2.47 (1.76, 5.07), p < 0.001 as well as after six months follow up 5.08 (3.80, 7.53), p < 0.001 in patients treated with ILC compared to other two groups. Neither apremilast monotherapy nor its combination with ILC demonstrated statistically significant improvement, although individual responses were observed. Complications were minimal, with transient pain and burning sensation reported during ILC injections and a few cases of gastritis and relapse in the oral apremilast group. These findings suggest that ILC remains an effective treatment option for patchy Alopecia areata. This study did not demonstrate statistically significant efficacy of oral apremilast, either as monotherapy or in combination with ILC, though larger studies may be needed to evaluate potential benefits in specific patient subgroups. Further research with larger sample sizes and longer-term follow-up is needed to validate these findings and optimize treatment approaches for Alopecia areata.

Reference:

Awasthi, S., Nijhawan, M., Mishra, A. et al. Comparing the efficacy of oral apremilast, intralesional corticosteroids, and their combination in patients with patchy alopecia areata: a randomized clinical controlled trial. Arch Dermatol Res 317, 129 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-024-03642-5

Keywords:

Intralesional, corticosteroids, remains, effective, treatment, option, patchy, Alopecia areata, reveals, research, Archives of Dermatological Research, Awasthi, S., Nijhawan, M., Mishra, A

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E-cigarette use may significantly increase risk of uveitis, suggests study

A new study published in the journal of Ophthalmology showed that e-cigarette users have a significantly increased chance of getting uveitis when compared to non-users. Uveitis and other inflammatory conditions are linked to tobacco cigarettes and their contents. Over the past decade, the use of electronic cigarettes has increased, and numerous negative effects on eye health have been identified, including disturbances in tear film, choroidal blood flow, and ocular saccadic rhythms.

Studies have found that sputum of e-cigarette users contains higher amounts of proteins linked to oxidative stress. The individuals who vape nicotine may be at a higher risk of getting uveitis since these proteins have been connected to the start of the illness. Thus, Alan Hsu and colleagues looked into the possible correlation if this patient group did in fact have a higher chance of developing uveitis.

The patients over 18 years old with and without a recent history of e-cigarette use, were included from the TriNetX database. A total of 4,19,325 e-cigarette users and 4,19,325 comparators were included in their study. The racial distributions of the two groups were comparable, with patients of Asian, Black, or African, and white races among them. The incidence of newly identified uveitis was the main outcome.

With a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.53, the findings indicated that e-cigarette users had a higher chance of getting uveitis than non-users. According to age stratification in subgroup analyses, e-cigarette users who were between the ages of 18 and 39 (HR: 2.59), 40 and 64 (HR: 2.20), and 65 and older (HR: 3.15) had an increased risk of developing uveitis. Further, this risk remained constant throughout the course of the 4-year follow-up, suggesting that e-cigarette usage had both a short-term and long-term impact on the risk of uveitis. Despite not much e-cigarette usage, traditional cigarette smoking was also found to raise the risk of uveitis. Also, the individuals who had a history of using both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes were at a greater risk of developing uveitis when compared to individuals who only used conventional cigarettes.

Overall, the results from this study merit more research, particularly because there has only been case reports linking e-cigarette usage to uveitis in the past. This study demonstrated that medical professionals should be mindful of the possible elevated risk of developing uveitis in individuals with a history of e-cigarette use.

Reference:

Hsu, A. Y., Wang, Y.-H., Hsia, N.-Y., Lai, C.-T., Kuo, H.-T., Wu, B.-Q., Lin, C.-J., Chiang, C.-C., Shao, Y.-C., Chen, H.-S., Tsai, Y.-Y., & Wei, J. C.-C. (2024). Risk of uveitis among E-Cigarette Users: a multi-institutional TriNetX study. In Ophthalmology. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2024.11.008

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Laparoscopic Surgery Non-Inferior to Open Surgery for Low Rectal Cancer, reports research

Researchers have discovered that laparoscopic surgery is non-inferior to open surgery regarding 3-year disease-free survival for the treatment of low rectal cancer. A recent study was conducted by Jiang W. and colleagues published in The Lancet journal.

Low rectal cancer is a challenging disease to treat because of its anatomical location and high risk of recurrence. Although laparoscopic surgery reduces recovery time and postoperative pain, the long-term oncologic outcome has been a controversy, especially in cases of low rectal cancer. This study compared 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival of laparoscopic versus open surgery for low rectal cancer.

The study included 1,070 patients aged 18–75 years with histologically confirmed low rectal adenocarcinoma within 5 cm from the dentate line. Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to either laparoscopic surgery (685 patients) or open surgery (354 patients). Participants were stratified according to the clinical stage, age, sex, BMI, and ASA classification. The main outcome measure of interest was 3-year disease-free survival, defined as locoregional recurrence, distant metastasis, or death.

Key findings of the study were as follows:

3-Year Disease-Free Survival:

  • Laparoscopic surgery: 81.4% (95% CI 78.2 to 84.1).

  • Open surgery: 79.8% (95% CI 75.2 to 83.6).

  • HR: 0.92 (95% CI 0.69 to 1.23; p = 0.56).

  • Non-inferiority margin met with a difference of 1.60% (97.5% CI -3.34 to ∞).

3-Year Overall Survival:

  • Laparoscopic surgery: 91.7% (95% CI 89.3 to 93.5).

  • Open surgery: 93.7% (95% CI 90.6 to 95.8).

  • HR: 1.34 (95% CI 0.82 to 2.19; p = 0.24).

3-Year Locoregional Recurrence:

  • Laparoscopic surgery: 3.7% (95% CI 2.5 to 5.3).

  • Open surgery: 2.3% (95% CI 1.1 to 4.3).

  • HR: 1.64 (95% CI 0.74 to 3.63; p = 0.22).

5-Year Overall Survival:

  • Laparoscopic surgery: 84.6% (95% CI 81.5 to 87.1).

  • Open surgery: 86.6% (95% CI 82.5 to 89.8).

  • HR: 1.16 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.64; p = 0.41).

This multicenter trial confirms that laparoscopic surgery is non-inferior to open surgery for 3-year disease-free survival in patients with low rectal cancer. These findings provide strong evidence that supports laparoscopic surgery as the effective and minimally invasive alternative to open surgery for low rectal cancer.

Reference:

Jiang, W., Xu, J., Cui, M., Qiu, H., Wang, Z., Kang, L., Deng, H., Chen, W., Zhang, Q., Du, X., Yang, C., Guo, Y., Zhong, M., Ye, K., You, J., Xu, D., Li, X., Xiong, Z., Tao, K., … LASRE trial investigators. (2024). Laparoscopy-assisted versus open surgery for low rectal cancer (LASRE): 3-year survival outcomes of a multicentre, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial. The Lancet. Gastroenterology & Hepatology. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(24)00273-5

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COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms among MS patients: Study

For people with multiple sclerosis (MS), having a COVID-19 infection is not associated with worsening MS symptoms or disability, according to a study published in the December 23, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“Infections may be associated with more disability among people with MS,” said study author Amber Salter, PhD, of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “However, our study found that for COVID-19 infections specifically, this was not true. This is good news for people with MS, that they do not need to worry about long-term worsening of their MS symptoms after a COVID-19 infection.”

The study involved 2,132 adults with MS with an average age of 65. They were followed over 18 months.

Participants completed a questionnaire, reporting whether they ever had a COVID-19 infection that was confirmed by a test.

A total of 796 people reported having a COVID-19 infection and 1,336 people reported never having COVID-19.

Participants also reported the severity of their MS symptoms at least six times during the study. They were asked about walking, hand function, bodily pain, fatigue and memory and thinking. They were scored based on symptom severity.

Participants also reported their level of disability based on how their condition affects daily activities like walking or standing.

After adjusting for factors such as age, race and gender, researchers found that for both those with COVID-19 infection and those without, MS symptom severity increased nominally by 0.02 points per month, both before and after a COVID-19 infection. They found no difference in MS symptom severity between those with COVID-19 infection and those without.

For disability, researchers found similar results.

“Our study indicates that COVID-19 infection was not associated with immediate changes in symptom severity or disability, nor did it change the MS symptoms or disability trajectory for more than a year and a half after the infection,” said Salter. “While our study looked primarily at older people and results may not be the same for younger people, these findings help us better understand how this type of infection can affect people with MS.”

A limitation of the study was that tests for COVID-19 infection can produce incorrect results, so not everyone who had COVID-19 may have tested positive. Also, people may have had COVID-19 and did not know it.

Reference:

Amber Salter, Effects of COVID-19 Infection on Symptom Severity and Disability in Multiple Sclerosis, Neurology, https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000210149

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Serum Podoplanin Levels Potential Biomarker for Diabetic Nephropathy Progression: Study

Lower levels of serum Podoplanin may predict diabetic nephropathy among diabetes patients suggests a study published in the Diabetes Metabolic Syndrome.

The study aimed to investigate the impact of serum Podoplanin levels on diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients and methods: Between January 2022 and December 2023, the Department of Nephrology at Nantong Second People’s Hospital selected 276 patients with T2DM and 150 healthy controls for this investigation. Systematic data collection was performed to gather information on biomarkers and biochemical parameters. Results: When T2DM patients (n=276) and healthy controls (n=150) were compared, considerably lowered serum Podoplanin levels were observed. In all 276 patients, serum Podoplanin levels were negatively associated with age (r=− 0.127, P=0.035), body mass index (BMI) (r=− 0.292, P< 0.001), duration of diabetes (r=− 0.323, P< 0.001), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r=− 0.255, P< 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r=− 0.138, P=0.022), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (r=− 0.196, P=0.001), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (r=− 0.095, P=0.117), triglyceride (TG) (r=− 0.157, P=0.009), total cholesterol (TC) (r=− 0.126, P=0.036), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (r=− 0.187, P=0.002), serum creatinine (Scr) (r=− 0.500, P< 0.001), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) (r=− 0.339, P< 0.001), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) (r=− 0.568, P< 0.001), and was positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (r=0.343, P< 0.001) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (r=0.442, P< 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that diabetic patients with DN had lowered levels of serum Podoplanin (OR=0.022, 95% CI=0.005– 0.100; P< 0.001), lower SBP, Scr, NGAL, and KIM-1. The results indicated that diabetic patients with DN have lower levels of serum Podoplanin. A more considerable population-based prospective investigation is essential to validate our findings.

Reference:

Huan F, Jiang X. Serum Podoplanin Levels as a Potential Biomarker for Diabetic Nephropathy Progression: A Cross-Sectional Study. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2024;17:4701-4710

https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S500608

Keywords:

Lower, levels, serum, Podoplanin, may, predict, diabetic, nephropathy, among, diabetes, patients, study, podoplanin, type 2 diabetes mellitus, diabetic nephropathy, biomarker, Huan F, Jiang X, Diabetes Metabolic Syndrome

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Can drinking coffee or tea help prevent head and neck cancer?

In a recent analysis of data from more than a dozen studies, coffee and tea consumption was linked with lower risks of developing head and neck cancer, including cancers of the mouth and throat. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of theAmerican Cancer Society.

Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer worldwide, and rates are rising in low- and middle-income countries. Many studies have assessed whether drinking coffee or tea is associated with head and neck cancer, with inconsistent results.

To provide additional insight, investigators examined data from 14 studies by different scientists associated with the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium, a collaboration of research groups around the globe. Study participants completed questionnaires about their prior consumption of caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea in cups per day/week/month/year.

When investigators pooled information on 9,548 patients with head and neck cancer and 15,783 controls without cancer, they found that compared with non-coffee-drinkers, individuals who drank more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee daily had 17% lower odds of having head and neck cancer overall, 30% lower odds of having cancer of the oral cavity, and 22% lower odds of having throat cancer. Drinking 3-4 cups of caffeinated coffee was linked with a 41% lower risk of having hypopharyngeal cancer (a type of cancer at the bottom of the throat).

Drinking decaffeinated coffee was associated with 25% lower odds of oral cavity cancer. Drinking tea was linked with 29% lower odds of hypopharyngeal cancer. Also, drinking 1 cup or less of tea daily was linked with a 9% lower risk of head and neck cancer overall and a 27% lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer, but drinking more than 1 cup was associated with 38% higher odds of laryngeal cancer.

“While there has been prior research on coffee and tea consumption and reduced risk of cancer, this study highlighted their varying effects with different sub-sites of head and neck cancer, including the observation that even decaffeinated coffee had some positive impact,” said senior author Yuan-Chin Amy Lee, PhD, of Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah School of Medicine. “Coffee and tea habits are fairly complex, and these findings support the need for more data and further studies around the impact that coffee and tea can have on reducing cancer risk.”

Reference:

Timothy Nguyen, Alzina Koric, Chun-Pin Esther Chang, Christine Barul, Loredana Radoi, Coffee and tea consumption and the risk of head and neck cancer: An updated pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium, Cancer, https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.35620

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Women with early bilateral oophorectomy at high risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, reports research

A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease showed that Alzheimer disease risk is increased by early bilateral oophorectomy (BO). By 2050, it is anticipated that 12.7 million people 65 and older would have Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Two-thirds of the individuals with AD are female. Therefore, reducing the number of people who acquire AD requires an awareness of the unique risk and resilience variables associated with AD in women.

The decrease of 17β-estradiol (E2) during menopause is a significant sex-related component. A few studies have examined women’s risk for dementia from all causes using the UK Biobank, a prospective population-based database of over 500,000 people with comprehensive phenotypic and genetic data. However, the findings involving menopause are conflicting. In fact, there is currently ample evidence linking early BO to a higher risk of dementia and/or cognitive impairment.In order to compare the odds ratios of AD to those of women who experienced spontaneous menopause (SM), this study looked at the prevalence and determinants of AD in women with early BO.

Women with early BO or SM who were 60 years of age or older at baseline, with or without AD, were included in a UK Biobank cohort (n = 34,603). The ICD-10 or ICD-9 code associated with AD was used to determine AD. To model the relationship between menopausal type and AD, this study employed logistic regression. Age, education, menopausal age, hormone treatment (HT), APOE4, body mass index (BMI), history of cancer, and history of smoking were all model variables.

The odds of developing AD were 4-times higher for individuals with early BO than for those with SM. In the BO group, older age and APOE4 were linked to higher risks of AD. While ever using HT was linked to lower odds of AD exclusively for the BO group, more years of schooling were linked to lower risks of AD for both BO and SM.

Overall, the probabilities of AD in women with early BO were determined by this investigation. The probabilities of AD were significantly raised by early BO itself. In addition, among women with early BO, possessing one or more APOE4 allele was substantially associated with higher risks of AD. Higher BMI, more education, and ever using HT were linked to lower risks.

Reference:

Calvo, N., McFall, G. P., Ramana, S., Galper, M., Fuller-Thomson, E., Dixon, R. A., & Einstein, G. (2024). Associated risk and resilience factors of Alzheimer’s disease in women with early bilateral oophorectomy: Data from the UK Biobank. In Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (Vol. 102, Issue 1, pp. 119–128). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-240646

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Incorporating Arginine in fancy water beverages lowers erosive tooth wear potential of these beverages: Study

Researchers have reported that the addition of arginine (Arg) in flavored fancy waters significantly lowers their potential to cause erosive tooth wear. Erosive tooth wear is a progressive loss of enamel caused by acidic beverages, commonly seen among young people. A recent study was conducted by Mohammed N. and colleagues published in the Journal of Dentistry.

With the increased popularity of flavored sparkling and carbonated beverages, erosive wear is an important issue. The oral health benefits of L-arginine have been reported in various studies. In this study, the efficacy of five commercially available fancy waters containing L-arginine was tested in reducing tooth wear over a controlled period of 72 hours.

The five commercial fancy waters, Oasis Lemon, Oasis Lemon Mint, Perrier Lemon, Perrier Grapefruit, and Pellegrino Lemon, were enriched with 2% L-arginine (w/v). Deionized water was used as a negative control. Key parameters, such as pH, buffer capacity, and fluoride (F−) concentrations, were measured to determine the impact of arginine addition.

To prepare, specimens were subjected to baseline volumetric analysis using micro-CT imaging. The specimens were then placed in the beverages for 72 hours at 37°C, with solutions changed every 24 hours. Post-exposure, 3D volumetric assessments and structural reconstructions were conducted to quantify and visualize enamel wear.

Key Findings

Improved pH and Fluoride Concentrations::

  • Fancy waters with arginine had significantly higher pH and fluoride concentration compared to the control (p < 0.001).

Buffer Capacity:

  • Among the arginine-rich drinks, Perrier-Grapefruit had the highest buffer capacity, which was significantly higher than Oasis Lemon, Oasis Lemon Mint, and Pellegrino Lemon (p < 0.05).

Enamel Volume Retention:

  • The specimens treated with Oasis Lemon Mint (± arginine) and Pellegrino Lemon (control) showed significant volume loss compared to baseline (p < 0.05).

  • Arginine-containing drinks had higher specimen volume compared to the non-arginine counterparts, thus proving their protective role.

Surface Wear Evidence:

  • Surface contrast imaging showed evident wear from baseline (T0) to the final analysis (T1) in specimens treated with Oasis Lemon Mint (± arginine) and Pellegrino Lemon without arginine.

Arginine enrichment of flavored fancy waters may minimize their erosive potential. This may provide a preventive mechanism against enamel wear and tear. The current research findings suggest that the formulation of beverages should be addressed to meet oral health needs without compromising consumer appeal. This would help reduce the burden of dental erosion among at-risk populations by promoting arginine-enriched beverages.

Reference:

Bijle, Mohammed Nadeem & Sharaf, Dalya & BAHDAR, Moussa & Daood, Umer & Yiu, Cynthia. (2024). Preventive potential of arginine incorporated in fancy waters for erosive tooth wear. Journal of Dentistry. 153. 10.1016/j.jdent.2024.105500.

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