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A Low ω-6 to ω-3 PUFA Ratio (n-6:n-3 PUFA) Diet to Treat Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Youth.
Van Name, MA, Savoye, M, Chick, JM, Galuppo, BT, Feldstein, AE, Pierpont, B, Johnson, C, Shabanova, V, Ekong, U, Valentino, PL, et al
The Journal of nutrition. 2020;150(9):2314-2321
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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterised by the accumulation of fat in the liver of people who drink very little or no alcohol. NAFLD is a common problem in children with obesity and diet is a contributory factor. Recent research has suggested that the Western diet and its high omega-6 and low omega-3 fat intakes may lead to the development of NAFLD. This quasi-experimental study of twenty children with obesity and NAFLD aimed to determine whether 12 weeks of low omega-6: omega-3 ratio diet affected liver fat content. The results showed that the diet did not affect weight loss but still significantly decreased liver fat content, with one third of the participants returning their liver fat content to normal. In lieu of weight loss, improvements were also observed in markers for liver function, diabetes and blood cholesterol. Interestingly those who carry a certain gene increasing their risk of developing NAFLD, showed greater improvements in liver fat percentage and liver function. It was concluded that in the absence of weight loss, a diet high in omega-3 and low in omega-6 improves fatty liver disease, risk factors for heart disease and has the potential to revert liver fat content to normal levels. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to recommend a low omega-6:omega-3 diet in children with obesity and NAFLD.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent literature suggests that the Western diet's imbalance between high ω-6 (n-6) and low ω-3 (n-3) PUFA intake contributes to fatty liver disease in obese youth. OBJECTIVES We tested whether 12 wk of a low n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio (4:1) normocaloric diet mitigates fatty liver and whether the patatin-like containing domain phospholipase 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 variant affects the response. METHODS In a single-arm unblinded study, obese youth 9-19 y of age with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were treated with a normocaloric low n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio diet for 12 wk. The primary outcome was change in hepatic fat fraction (HFF%), measured by abdominal MRI. Metabolic parameters included alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lipids, measures of insulin sensitivity, and plasma oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAMs). Outcomes were also analyzed by PNPLA3 rs738409 genotype. Wilcoxon's signed rank test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and covariance pattern modeling were used. RESULTS Twenty obese adolescents (median age: 13.3 y; IQR: 10.5-16.4 y) were enrolled and 17 completed the study. After 12 wk of dietary intervention, HFF% decreased by 25.8% (P = 0.009) despite stable weight. We observed a 34.4% reduction in ALT (P = 0.001), 21.9% reduction in triglycerides (P = 0.046), 3.28% reduction in LDL cholesterol (P = 0.071), and a 26.3% improvement in whole body insulin sensitivity (P = 0.032). The OXLAMs 9-hydroxy-octadecandienoic acid (9-HODE) (P = 0.011), 13-HODE (P = 0.007), and 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid (9-oxoODE) (P = 0.024) decreased after 12 wk. HFF% declined in both the not-at-risk (CC/CG) and at-risk (GG) PNPLA3 rs738409 genotype groups, with significant (P = 0.016) HFF% reduction in the GG group. Changes in 9-HODE (P = 0.023), 9-oxoODE (P = 0.009), and 13-oxoODE (P = 0.003) differed between the 2 genotype groups over time. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that, independently of weight loss, a low n-6:n-3 PUFA diet ameliorates the metabolic phenotype of adolescents with fatty liver disease and that response to this diet is modulated by the PNPLA3 rs738409 genotype.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01556113.
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Effect of a Low Free Sugar Diet vs Usual Diet on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adolescent Boys: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Schwimmer, JB, Ugalde-Nicalo, P, Welsh, JA, Angeles, JE, Cordero, M, Harlow, KE, Alazraki, A, Durelle, J, Knight-Scott, J, Newton, KP, et al
JAMA. 2019;321(3):256-265
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The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among children in the United States is increasing and evidence supports a role for dietary sugar in the development and progression of NAFLD. This open-label, randomised clinical trial using a feeding study design was performed to test the hypothesis that restricting free sugar would improve NAFLD in children. Children in the intervention group, who were provided all food for the 8 week intervention, received less than 3% of daily calories from sugar. The control group continued with their usual diet. Study visits were conducted at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks after start of the intervention. The mean decrease in hepatic steatosis (a sign of NAFLD) from baseline to week 8 was significantly greater for the intervention diet group compared with the usual diet group. Liver enzymes, total cholesterol, weight/body mass index and systolic blood pressure also improved more in the low sugar group than in the usual diet group. There was no difference in markers for blood sugar control and other lipid parameters. The authors conclude that these findings suggest a potential benefit of a low sugar diet for children with NAFLD, but state that further research is needed to assess long-term and clinical outcomes.
Abstract
Importance: Pediatric guidelines for the management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) recommend a healthy diet as treatment. Reduction of sugary foods and beverages is a plausible but unproven treatment. Objective: To determine the effects of a diet low in free sugars (those sugars added to foods and beverages and occurring naturally in fruit juices) in adolescent boys with NAFLD. Design, Setting, and Participants: An open-label, 8-week randomized clinical trial of adolescent boys aged 11 to 16 years with histologically diagnosed NAFLD and evidence of active disease (hepatic steatosis >10% and alanine aminotransferase level ≥45 U/L) randomized 1:1 to an intervention diet group or usual diet group at 2 US academic clinical research centers from August 2015 to July 2017; final date of follow-up was September 2017. Interventions: The intervention diet consisted of individualized menu planning and provision of study meals for the entire household to restrict free sugar intake to less than 3% of daily calories for 8 weeks. Twice-weekly telephone calls assessed diet adherence. Usual diet participants consumed their regular diet. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was change in hepatic steatosis estimated by magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction measurement between baseline and 8 weeks. The minimal clinically important difference was assumed to be 4%. There were 12 secondary outcomes, including change in alanine aminotransferase level and diet adherence. Results: Forty adolescent boys were randomly assigned to either the intervention diet group or the usual diet group (20 per group; mean [SD] age, 13.0 [1.9] years; most were Hispanic [95%]) and all completed the trial. The mean decrease in hepatic steatosis from baseline to week 8 was significantly greater for the intervention diet group (25% to 17%) vs the usual diet group (21% to 20%) and the adjusted week 8 mean difference was -6.23% (95% CI, -9.45% to -3.02%; P < .001). Of the 12 prespecified secondary outcomes, 7 were null and 5 were statistically significant including alanine aminotransferase level and diet adherence. The geometric mean decrease in alanine aminotransferase level from baseline to 8 weeks was significantly greater for the intervention diet group (103 U/L to 61 U/L) vs the usual diet group (82 U/L to 75 U/L) and the adjusted ratio of the geometric means at week 8 was 0.65 U/L (95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81 U/L; P < .001). Adherence to the diet was high in the intervention diet group (18 of 20 reported intake of <3% of calories from free sugar during the intervention). There were no adverse events related to participation in the study. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study of adolescent boys with NAFLD, 8 weeks of provision of a diet low in free sugar content compared with usual diet resulted in significant improvement in hepatic steatosis. However, these findings should be considered preliminary and further research is required to assess long-term and clinical outcomes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02513121.
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Inhalational Alzheimer's disease: an unrecognized - and treatable - epidemic.
Bredesen, DE
Aging. 2016;8(2):304-13
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the third leading cause of death in the USA, with around 5.2 million Americans diagnosed with AD. Effective treatment with medications has yet to be found. A recent multiple therapy programme (originally known as MEND, now called ReCODE) proposed by Professor Bredesen and team, has shown some promising anecdotal results. Identifying sub-types of AD has been proposed as a means to develop targeted protocols for treatment. Recently, 3 sub-types of AD have been described: Type 1 (inflammatory), Type 2 (non-inflammatory or decreasing brain size) and Type 3 (damage to the outer layer of the cerebrum). This report describes 7 patients with Type 3 AD. Type 3 AD is characterised by exposure to specific toxins (usually inhaled) and is often associated with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). The report provides the symptoms, signs and laboratory values representative of Type 3 AD and could be used by Nutrition Practitioners to help with implementation of appropriate nutrition protocols when working with clients with AD.
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is one of the most significant healthcare problems today, with a dire need for effective treatment. Identifying subtypes of Alzheimer's disease may aid in the development of therapeutics, and recently three different subtypes have been described: type 1 (inflammatory), type 2 (non-inflammatory or atrophic), and type 3 (cortical). Here I report that type 3 Alzheimer's disease is the result of exposure to specific toxins, and is most commonly inhalational (IAD), a phenotypic manifestation of chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), due to biotoxins such as mycotoxins. The appropriate recognition of IAD as a potentially important pathogenetic condition in patients with cognitive decline offers the opportunity for successful treatment of a large number of patients whose current prognoses, in the absence of accurate diagnosis, are grave.