Beef Up to Maintain Muscle

Sarcopenia, or the gradual loss of muscle mass, is a common consequence of aging and can be a significant risk factor for disability for older adults. Stuart M. Phillips, from McMaster University in Canada, and colleagues studied 45 men, average age 59 years, and found that eating a six-ounce serving—170 grams—of 85 percent lean ground beef resulted in significant changes in the rate of muscle protein synthesis following exercise. It’s worth noting that 170 grams is double the current recommended serving size of meat in Canada. The authors propose that “ingestion of 170 grams of beef protein is required to stimulate a rise in myofibrillar [muscle protein] synthesis over and above that seen with lower doses.”

Robinson, R.J., et al. (2012). Dose-dependent responses of myofibrillar protein synthesis with beef ingestion are enhanced with resistance exercise in middle-aged men. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. Published online November 9.

 

Natural Approaches May Clear Brain Plaque

The brain tissue of an Alzheimer’s patient exhibits many fewer nerve cells and synapses than a healthy brain, due to the presence of plaques—abnormal clusters of protein fragments built up between nerve cells—and tangles, which are twisted strands of proteins that comprise dead and dying nerve cells. In a small pilot study Milan Fiala, from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues drew blood samples from both Alzheimer’s patients and healthy controls and then isolated macrophages—blood components that are responsible for disposing of amyloid-beta and other waste products in the brain and body.

The team incubated the immune cells overnight with amyloid-beta. They added either an active form of vitamin D3 called 1alpha,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 or an active form of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA called resolvin D1 to some of the cells to gauge the effect they had on inflammation and amyloid-beta absorption. Both the 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and the resolvin D1 improved the ability of the Alzheimer’s patients’ macrophages to gobble-up amyloid-beta, and they inhibited the cell death that is induced by amyloid-beta. The researchers observed that each nutrition molecule used different receptors and common signaling pathways to do that. The lead researcher’s hopeful conclusion: “Our new study sheds further light on a possible role for nutritional substances such as vitamin D3 and omega-3 in boosting immunity to help fight Alzheimer’s.”

Mizwicki, M.T., et al. (2012). Genomic and nongenomic signaling induced by 1 ,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 promotes the recovery of amyloid-[beta] phagocytosis by Alzheimer’s disease macrophages. J Alzheimers Dis. 29(1):51-62.

—Dr. Bob Goldman
www.WorldHealth.net

 

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Dr. Robert M. Goldman MD, PhD, DO, FAASP has spearheaded the development of numerous international medical organizations and corporations. Dr. Goldman has served as a Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Filene Center, Tufts University; as an Affiliate at the Philosophy of Education Research Center, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, He is Clinical Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea Medical University; and Professor, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Central America Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Goldman holds the positions of Visiting Professor, Udayana University School of Medicine, Indonesia; Visiting Professor, Huazhong University of Science & Technology Tong Ji Medical School, China; Visiting Professor, The Wuhan Institute of Science & Technology, China; Visiting Professor at Hainan Medical College, China; and Visiting Professor, School of Anti-Aging, Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine, UCSI University, Malaysia. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. He has overseen cooperative research agreement development programs in conjunction with such prominent institutions as the American National Red Cross, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, and the FDA’s Center for Devices & Radiological Health.

Dr Goldman was awarded the 2012 LifeTime Achievement Award in Medicine &Science. Dr. Goldman is the recipient of the ‘Gold Medal for Science, the Grand Prize for Medicine, the Humanitarian Award, and the Business Development Award. He received honors from Minister of Sports and government Health officials of numerous nations. In 2001, Excellency Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Dr. Goldman the International Olympic Committee Tribute Diploma for contributions to the development of sport & Olympism.

In addition, Dr. Goldman is a black belt in karate, Chinese weapons expert, and world champion athlete with over 20 world strength records, he has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some of his past performance records include 13,500 consecutive situps and 321 consecutive handstand pushups. Dr. Goldman was an All-College athlete in four sports, a three time winner of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Physical Fitness Award, was voted Athlete of the Year, was the recipient of the Champions Award, and was inducted into the World Hall of Fame of Physical Fitness. Dr. Goldman was awarded the Healthy American Fitness Leader Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Goldman is Chairman of the International Medical Commission overseeing sports medicine committees in over 184 nations. He has served as a Special Advisor to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. He is founder and international President Emeritis of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the cofounder and Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. Goldman visits an average of 20 countries annually to promote brain research and sports medicine programs.