News Round-up
Are probiotics worth the cost to prevent infection after a colon removal surgery?
A University of California Los Angeles Health study found that taking an 8-strain probiotic daily may reduce the risk of pouchitis, a common inflammatory condition that occurs after colon removal surgery for ulcerative colitis, but the treatment may not be worth the cost depending on a patient’s likelihood of flare-ups.
The study, published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances, is the first to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the probiotic treatment, which was shown in previous studies to be effective at preventing the initial onset of, and the reoccurrence of, pouchitis. The UCLA study affirmed that the probiotic formulation was effective at preventing pouchitis compared to patients taking no probiotics but found that the cost to third-party payers may outweigh those benefits in most cases unless the cost of the probiotic formulation is lowered.
Diet Can Directly Influence Brain Ageing
A study led by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Harvard University, and the University of Leipzig has uncovered innovative biological evidence that diet can directly influence brain aging.
Published in Clinical Nutrition, the study examined brain MRI scans alongside detailed blood protein profiles (proteomics) over an 18-month dietary intervention. The research identified specific proteins linked to accelerated brain ageing, with blood levels that were altered following dietary intervention.
ASN Releases Kidney Health Guidance on Food Additives
The American Society of Nephrology has published new guidance in JASN highlighting the risks of potassium and phosphorus additives for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
The recommendations urge patients to avoid phosphorus additives entirely and call for individualised approaches to managing potassium intake. The guidance also points to gaps in food labelling and access that make nutrition management challenging, while offering strategies to help kidney care professionals support patients in preventing hyperkalaemia and CKD-related bone disorders.
The Last Evening Meal & Insulin Sensitivity
A study involving the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has shown that the last meal of the day plays a crucial part in regulating glucose levels the following morning, a factor that can be especially critical for people with prediabetes and may prove decisive in preventing the onset of this chronic disease.
The study was published in Nutrients. The results of the research show that dietary recommendations should consider not only the amount of carbohydrates patients can consume, but also the timing of the last evening meal. The later the meal, the harder it becomes to regulate glucose, while its nutritional content remains crucial for controlling overnight glucose levels. The researchers also found that an individual's insulin sensitivity influences glucose regulation.
Probiotics for Preterm Babies Lowered Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Gut
Preterm babies with very low birth weight who received a probiotic alongside antibiotics had fewer multidrug resistant bacteria and a more typical gut microbiome, a study shows.
The paper published in Nature Communications is the result of a trial testing probiotics among a group of 34 pre-term babies born with a very low birth weight, under 1500 g representing around 1-1.5% of babies born around the world. The study sequenced gut bacteria from the babies during the first three weeks after birth.
The collaborative study led by Professor Lindsay Hall and Dr Raymond Kiu from the University of Birmingham found that among babies who received a probiotic treatment of a certain strain including Bifidobacterium alongside antibiotics, levels of typical bacterial strains associated with early-life gut microbiota were at levels typical among full-term babies, reducing both the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and the number of multi-drug resistant bacteria in the gut.
The EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy, Sustainable and Just Food Systems
New to this Commission are updates to the planetary health diet, measurement and assessment of the impact food systems have in driving transgressions of planetary boundaries, an exploration of multi-dimensional and underlying issues of food justice, new research and extensive modelling insights, and transformative and action-based recommendations and roadmaps.