HEALTH

Compound in avocados may reduce diabetes

A FAT molecule found only in avocados shows signs of strengthening insulin sensitivity, according to research in mice.
Avocados aren’t merely a tasty addition to a diet — they contain a fat molecule that may safely reduce insulin resistance.
A study by researchers from the University of Guelph, in Canada, suggests that this compound, which avocados alone contain, may forestall or prevent the hallmark of type 2 diabetes in mice.
The team also tested the safety of this compound in human participants. They have published a summary of their findings in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

The problem with type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes prevents the body from successfully processing glucose, or sugar, in the blood.
In people without diabetes, this processing happens with the assistance of the pancreatic hormone insulin. In people who have diabetes, the body either does not produce enough of the hormone, or it cannot use it effectively.
Either type of diabetes can cause too much glucose to remain in the blood, an unhealthy state that — if left unmanaged — can cause a range of serious issues, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney or nerve damage.
The University of Guelph research, led by an associate professor at the school, Paul Spagnuolo, Ph.D., looked particularly at insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance, say the study’s authors, occurs when mitochondria in cells cannot burn fatty acids via oxidation sufficiently. In diabetes, that oxidation is incomplete.

Meet AvoB
The compound in question is a fat molecule called avocatin B, or AvoB.
For the study, the researchers fed mice a high fat diet for 8 weeks to promote obesity and insulin resistance. Then, the team added AvoB to the diet of half the mice for the next 5 weeks.
At the end of the 13 weeks, the mice that had ingested AvoB had gained weight at a slower rate than their counterparts, and their insulin sensitivity had increased.
The researchers conclude that AvoB worked against incomplete mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in the skeletal muscle and pancreas, ensuring the complete oxidation of fats, and thus leading to improved glucose tolerance and utilization, enhancing the rodents’ insulin sensitivity.
AvoB’s safety in humans
In a separate, double?blind, placebo?controlled clinical study in humans, the researchers investigated the effects of an AvoB supplement coupled with an average Western diet for 60 days.
Dosages were either 50 milligrams (mg) or 200 mg. At the end of the trial, the researchers determined that the participants had tolerated the compound well. The team found no negative effects in the liver, muscles, or kidneys and no indication of dose dependent toxicity.
There was also some weight loss among participants, though the authors of the study considered it statistically insignificant.

What’s next?
Spagnuolo and the team are designing clinical trials to assess AvoB’s effectiveness in people, and they have already received clearance from Health Canada to sell AvoB in powder and pill forms, perhaps by next year.
Unfortunately for sedentary avocado lovers, Spagnuolo cautions that simply eating avocados will not provide enough AvoB for a person to gain its potential benefit. – Medical News Today

Women are less likely to quit smoking

NEW Canadian research has found that although most individuals find it tough to quit smoking, it appears to be even more difficult for women, who are half as likely to succeed as men.
Carried out by researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, the new study included 233 patients (35 per cent female) who attended a smoking cessation clinic at the hospital at least twice between 2008 and 2018.
The participants had an average age of 56 and reported smoking an average of 18 cigarettes per day for 37 years.
To help them quit smoking, the participants all received individualised medical counselling, and if necessary, a prescription for medication such as nicotine replacement therapy (gum, lozenge, patch, inhaler, spray), bupropion and varenicline.

The findings, presented at the 2019 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, showed that after six months in the programme, a quarter of the participants had quit smoking and 29 per cent had reduced the number of cigarettes smoked each day by more than half.
However, the researchers found that women were half as likely to quit smoking as men.
“In our study, women had a higher prevalence of anxiety or depression than men (41 per cent versus 21 per cent respectively), which potentially disturbed the smoking cessation process,” explains study author Dr Carolina Gonzaga Carvalho.
“Hormonal or social factors might also play a role.
“Our observational study cannot answer why, but it speaks to the need for gender analysis and treatment specific to sex.”
Participants who struggled to afford smoking cessation medications were also less likely to quit.
“Female gender and medication affordability were independent predictors of inability to quit or significantly reduce tobacco smoking,” said Dr Gonzaga Carvalho.
“Previous research has shown that a policy to cover the financial costs of smoking cessation medications improves quit rates.”
Two factors that appeared to increase a smoker’s likelihood of quitting were attending the clinic more often and taking the medication varenicline – a finding in line with previous research, which has shown that varenicline is more effective than a placebo or other medications.
“The number of clinic visits was the strongest predictor of successfully quitting or reducing smoking,” noted Dr Gonzaga Carvalho.
“This highlights the importance of these appointments, when counselling was provided, and medication was reviewed and adjusted as needed.”
She explained that, “Varenicline decreases withdrawal symptoms and may have reduced craving for nicotine among our patients, potentially reducing relapse.
“Our message to smokers is that smoking cessation is achievable with help.
“Get assistance and connect to a smoking cessation programme, where individual needs will be assessed, and a plan to quit smoking will be developed.
“The sooner, the better.” – AFP Relaxnews