Aurora magazine

According to a study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Østfold Hospital Trust, a diet rich in fiber during pregnancy reduces the risk of celiac disease for the fetus. The researchers analyzed data from 88,000 Norwegian children and their mothers, all born between 1999 and 2009.

During the last 22 weeks of gestation, the mothers had answered a series of questions regarding nutrition. Among these there was one concerning the quantity of fiber and gluten consumed. 11 years after giving birth, the researchers verified how many children were celiac and crossed the data with those previously collected. There were 982 celiac children, so about 1% of the study participants. Women who consumed more than 45 grams of fiber a day were 34% less likely to have a celiac child. This compared to women who had consumed small amounts of fiber, holding around or even below 19 grams per day. For every 10 grams of fiber consumed more, the chances of the child being celiac fell by about 8%.

Furthermore, fruit and vegetable fibers seem to be linked to an even lower risk. This is one of the first studies that analyzes the connection between fiber consumption in pregnancy and celiac disease. Also for this reason, researchers are cautious: the data are only preliminary and it is early to outline an "anti-celiac" diet.

Further studies will be needed to understand if the two phenomena are effectively linked and not only correlated. At the moment it is unclear what the causal correlation between the two phenomena would be.

Source: livescience.com

In Parkinson's and in some forms of dementia, toxic aggregates that destroy neural circuits are created in the brain. Osaka University researchers are testing preventive gene therapy. The first studies concern only the guinea pigs; if all goes well, we will also move on to human experimentation. Although Parkinson's disease is widespread, the causes are still unclear.

Existing therapies are only symptomatic in nature and there is no real cure. Also for this reason, researchers are looking for preventive therapies that reduce the onset of the disease in people at risk. Japanese gene therapy affects a protein called alpha-synuclein, which aggregates into so-called Lewy bodies. According to the researchers, avoiding the formation of bodies could prevent or even reverse the disease. To test this theory, they tested it in vitro and on animal models.

The researchers created a section of genetic material that corresponds to the alpha-synuclein. At this point they stabilized the genetic fragments, modifying them so that they prevented the formation of the protein itself and therefore of the aggregates. To obtain the best possible result, they tested different variants of modified genetic fragments. In this way they have come to reduce protein levels by about 80% in vitro.

Later, scientists tested genetic fragments on animal models with Parkinson's. They came to the brain without major problems, without the need for chemicals to carry them. The treated mice showed the first improvements within 27 days of therapy.

Source: medicalnewstoday.com

Researchers at University College London have identified a mutation as old as fire. According to the discovery, this genetic variant could protect against hyperglycemia and diabetes, helping to prevent these diseases.

The discovery was made as scientists studied the CLTCL1 gene, which deals with removing excess sugar from the blood. Our body needs sugar to supply energy to the brain and the rest of the organs. When levels rise too much, however, pathologies such as type 2 diabetes can occur. In these cases, the sugar in circulation increases exponentially and the body is no longer able to remove it from the flow.

About 50% of the world population has a changed version of CLTCL1, which improves their performance. For these individuals, eliminating excess sugar is easier and therefore they are less at risk of diabetes. It may be that the mutation arose when humans began to cook. With the arrival of the kitchen, the sugars introduced into the blood have increased and it has become necessary to remove them.

The phenomenon could even have stimulated the development of the human brain. The oldest form of the gene carried glucose into the muscle and fat, so sugar levels remained high. The increase in sugar in the tissues of the organs could have stimulated the development of the brain, thanks to the greater supply of energy. Today, instead, there are other versions of the mutation, more in line with the large amounts of carbohydrates consumed today.

Source: focustech.it

According to the World Health Organization, Switzerland is the least fertile country in Europe. The average for young European men is around 41-67 million spermatozoa per ml. Instead, more than half of Swiss young people fall far below this average. Other less fertile countries are Denmark, Norway and Germany.

How this phenomenon is possible and what consequences it can have for the health of the individual. By averaging across the entire Swiss male population, every man should have around 47 million spermatozoa per ml of semen. WHO data show a very different reality: only 38% of Swiss young people have a correct sperm concentration. 71% is instead "subfertile", meaning that it has less than 15 million spermatozoa per ml of seed. This means that Swiss men tend to be less fertile and take longer to conceive. In general, we are seeing a steady decrease in sperm concentration.

There are many theories as to what the causes could be: the substances present in the plastic; lack of physical activity; jeans too tight. Unfortunately, there is no safe answer, at least at the moment. In the specific case, the researchers tested the seed of 2,500 men between 18 and 22 years, as part of the exams for the military service. They also submitted a questionnaire about lifestyle, diet and education. All study participants were conceived and born in the country.

The low concentration of spermatozoa influences the ability to conceive, obviously. In addition, it increases the risk of testicular cancer and genital malformations. This could be related to the increase in cases of this type of cancer over the past 35 years. In Switzerland there are about 10 cases per 100,000 men, one of the highest rates in Europe.

Source: independent.co.uk