It is good to read papers which look at mechanism rather than describe phenomena. This a good paper describing why anorexia is a feature of acute illness. Anorexia is part of the body’s acute-phase response to illness. Microbial products such as lipopolysaccharides. which are also commonly used to model acute illness, trigger the acute-phase response…
Read moreA study by Rist et al looked at whether the incorporation of organic dairy and meal products in the maternal diet affects the contents of the conjugated linoleic add isomers (CLA) and trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) in human breast milk.The term conjugated linoleic acid describes a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6)…
Read moreIn recent years there has been a proliferation of nutrition screening tools but under nutrition remains prevalent amongst older subjects. Screening tools commonly include BM1 as the widely-accepted ‘gold standard’ indicator of malnutrition. Whilst BM1 may be an appropriate tool for population studies when it can be measured accurately in research conditions, the use of…
Read moreBailey and Brook-Wavell have written an interesting review on exercise and bone mineral density in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Physical activity is a major physiological method for increasing and maintaining bone mineral density and geometry. With an important role in maintaining peak bone mass and strength, and reducing the risk of future osteoporotic…
Read moreAgeing is associated with a gradual loss of skeletal muscle mass, known as sarcopaenia . These age-related changes in skeletal muscle mass are attributed to a disruption in the regulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis and/or degradationProtein turnover in skeletal muscle tissue is highly responsive to nutrient intake in healthy, young individ¬uals. In the elderly,…
Read moreIn a recent copy of Nature Chemical Biology Davis and Halloran discuss cellular copper ion chemistry. Transition metals such as zinc, copper and iron are necessary to reach intracellular concentration of tens to hundreds of micromolar. Few if any of these ions are thought to be ‘free’ or readily accessible in terms of their thermodynamic…
Read moreThere is a great game being played in the molecular biology world genome analysis . It is possible to trace the migration of peoples across he world and long standing theories for the migrations are being tested. It is quite a thought that mankind evolved in Africa and then was able o slowly move to…
Read moreThis article reviews the basics of surgical nutrition. Malnutrition remains a common problem in surgical patients and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. All surgical patients must undergo nutritional screening on admission to highlight malnourished or at risk patients and implement a nutritional plan. There is a strong association between malnutrition and poor clinical…
Read moreExcess bodyweight, expressed as increased body-mass index {BMI), is associated with the risk of some common adult cancers. Renehan and his colleagues report in the Lancet February 16 2008 a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the strength of associations between BMI and different sites of cancer and also to look at differences in these…
Read moreThe Lancer has run a most important series of 5 review articles on malnutrition finishing with the February 6th edition of the Journal.The final editorial readsLater this month, the first batch of seeds will be stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to ensure that should a major catastrophe ever hit the planet, survivors should…
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