Health
Intermittent fasting could cut weight and delay aging – but there’s a problem – SlashGear
Intermittent fasting could unlock lower rates of cancer and obesity as well as cut stress and even make us live longer, new research suggests, but significant hurdles are getting in the way of the diet’s advantage. Rather than the typical current diet plan of three meals per day, spread out fairly evenly through daylight hours, intermittent fasting sees people squeeze their meals into just a handful of hours.
It’s not a new concept, but it has gained traction in recent years with the rise of so-called “paleo” diets and greater attention paid toward atypical eating routines. At the same time, studies have looked at potential health and lifestyle benefits, focusing on how intermittent fasting can prompt what’s known as a metabolic switch, the body shifting from using glucose-based to ketone-based energy.
Usually, those following an intermittent fasting plan would eat within a six hour window each day, and then fast for the remaining 18 hours, though some extend that to as much as 20 hours. The potential benefits from that are more than just around weight loss. According to a new review by Rafael de Cabo, Ph.D., and Mark P. Mattson, Ph.D., of John Hopkins University School of Medicine, “many of the health benefits of intermittent fasting are not simply the result of reduced free-radical production or weight loss.”
Benefits of intermittent fasting
According to the review, “intermittent fasting elicits evolutionarily conserved, adaptive cellular responses that are integrated between and within organs in a manner that improves glucose regulation, increases stress resistance, and suppresses inflammation.” During periods of fasting, the body’s cells would normally shift into processes where damage is removed or repaired, and cellular stress is addressed. However, given the meal cadence of the typical diet, the processes don’t have much time to work.
One of the best-known benefits of intermittent fasting is a change in how the body generates its energy. After a meal, glucose from food is used for energy; fat is stored for later use. When fasting, that fat is broken down in turn, with the liver converting fatty aides to ketone bodies.
Those ketone bodies aren’t just a sign of fat being broken down, but act as “potent signaling molecules” for our cells and organs. For example, they can influence how proteins, molecules, and genes that influence factors like aging, neurodegenerative disorders, and overall health – among other factors – are produced. Other studies found intermittent fasting could also help improve glucose regulation, manage blood pressure, and cut down on body fat.
The problem with intermittent fasting
While the science may be there, the lifestyle changes for intermittent fasting are a much bigger issue, the study’s authors conclude. Perhaps the biggest issue is that we’re just not in the habit of abstaining for extended periods of the day.
“First, a diet of three meals with snacks every day is so ingrained in our culture that a change in this eating pattern will rarely be contemplated by patients or doctors,” they suggest. “The abundance of food and extensive marketing in developed nations are also major hurdles to be overcome.”
There are also barriers to sticking with such a diet, like the inevitable hunger, irritability, and a loss in concentration. That’s usually limited to the first month, the researchers point out, but it can be a significant hurdle during that period, and it relies on healthcare professionals making clear that it’s a temporary side-effect. Problem is, it’s also suggested, physicians themselves often lack the training to give good intermittent fasting advice.
Could a pill replace intermittent fasting?
One other avenue of research, mainly in animal models, has been the hunt for a pharmacologic alternative: a pill that replicates the benefits of intermittent fasting. That has included drugs that impose the same sort of challenge to the body’s metabolic system that fasting does, or that specifically triggers the sort of processes that go on during ketosis.
We’re still some way from a pill that can do that, however. According to the researchers, “the available data from animal models suggest that the safety and efficacy of such pharmacologic approaches are likely to be inferior to those of intermittent fasting.” In short, if you want the best results, you need to stick to the diet.
The best intermittent fasting diet
There are several diet structures that all fall under the umbrella term of “intermittent fasting,” and there’s no one single perfect meal plan for every person. The most common is probably the daily time-restricted feeding regimen, where you eat within a period of around six hours, and then avoid food for the remaining 18 hours period.
However there’s also the 5:2 intermittent-fasting regimen to consider. That limits daily calorific intake to just 500 calories on two days per week, with regular healthy eating on the remaining five days. Whichever structure is picked, there should be a focus on exercise and meal nutrition too.
What intermittent fasting shouldn’t be, though, is a sudden blow to the system. That, at the very least, is a recipe for quickly giving up on the diet. Instead, a four month transition period – preferably with regular monitoring of body weight, along with glucose and ketone levels – is recommended, in the hope of making a long-term behavioral change that maximizes the diet’s potential benefits to health.
Health
Toronto reports 2 more measles cases. Use our tool to check the spread in Canada – Toronto Star
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Canada has seen a concerning rise in measles cases in the first months of 2024.
By the third week of March, the country had already recorded more than three times the number of cases as all of last year. Canada had just 12 cases of measles in 2023, up from three in 2022.
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Cancer Awareness Month
Posted on: Apr 18, 2024
April is Cancer Awareness Month
As we recognize Cancer Awareness Month, we stand together to raise awareness, support those affected, advocate for prevention, early detection, and continued research towards a cure. Cancer is the leading cause of death for Métis women and the second leading cause of death for Métis men. The Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation Within Alberta is working hard to ensure that available supports for Métis Citizens battling cancer are culturally appropriate, comprehensive, and accessible by Métis Albertans at all stages of their cancer journey.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis, whether for yourself or a loved one, can feel overwhelming, leaving you unsure of where to turn for support. In June, our government will be launching the Cancer Supports and Navigation Program which will further support Métis Albertans and their families experiencing cancer by connecting them to OMG-specific cancer resources, external resources, and providing navigation support through the health care system. This program will also include Métis-specific peer support groups for those affected by cancer.
With funding from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) we have also developed the Métis Cancer Care Course to ensure that Métis Albertans have access to culturally safe and appropriate cancer services. This course is available to cancer care professionals across the country and provides an overview of who Métis people are, our culture, our approaches to health and wellbeing, our experiences with cancer care, and our cancer journey.
Together, we can make a difference in the fight against cancer and ensure equitable access to culturally safe and appropriate care for all Métis Albertans. Please click on the links below to learn more about the supports available for Métis Albertans, including our Compassionate Care: Cancer Transportation program.
I wish you all good health and happiness!
Bobbi Paul-Alook
Secretary of Health & Seniors
Health
Type 2 diabetes is not one-size-fits-all: Subtypes affect complications and treatment options – The Conversation
You may have heard of Ozempic, the “miracle drug” for weight loss, but did you know that it was actually designed as a new treatment to manage diabetes? In Canada, diabetes affects approximately 10 per cent of the general population. Of those cases, 90 per cent have Type 2 diabetes.
This metabolic disorder is characterized by persistent high blood sugar levels, which can be accompanied by secondary health challenges, including a higher risk of stroke and kidney disease.
Locks and keys
In Type 2 diabetes, the body struggles to maintain blood sugar levels in an acceptable range. Every cell in the body needs sugar as an energy source, but too much sugar can be toxic to cells. This equilibrium needs to be tightly controlled and is regulated by a lock and key system.
In the body’s attempt to manage blood sugar levels and ensure that cells receive the right amount of energy, the pancreatic hormone, insulin, functions like a key. Cells cover themselves with locks that respond perfectly to insulin keys to facilitate the entry of sugar into cells.
Unfortunately, this lock and key system doesn’t always perform as expected. The body can encounter difficulties producing an adequate number of insulin keys, and/or the locks can become stubborn and unresponsive to insulin.
All forms of diabetes share the challenge of high blood sugar levels; however, diabetes is not a singular condition; it exists as a spectrum. Although diabetes is broadly categorized into two main types, Type 1 and Type 2, each presents a diversity of subtypes, especially Type 2 diabetes.
These subtypes carry their own characteristics and risks, and do not respond uniformly to the same treatments.
To better serve people living with Type 2 diabetes, and to move away from a “one size fits all” approach, it is beneficial to understand which subtype of Type 2 diabetes a person lives with. When someone needs a blood transfusion, the medical team needs to know the patient’s blood type. It should be the same for diabetes so a tailored and effective game plan can be implemented.
This article explores four unique subtypes of Type 2 diabetes, shedding light on their causes, complications and some of their specific treatment avenues.
Severe insulin-deficient diabetes: We’re missing keys!
(Lili Grieco-St-Pierre, Jennifer Bruin/Created with BioRender.com)
Insulin is produced by beta cells, which are found in the pancreas. In the severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD) subtype, the key factories — the beta cells — are on strike. Ultimately, there are fewer keys in the body to unlock the cells and allow entry of sugar from the blood.
SIDD primarily affects younger, leaner individuals, and unfortunately, increases the risk of eye disease and blindness, among other complications. Why the beta cells go on strike remains largely unknown, but since there is an insulin deficiency, treatment often involves insulin injections.
Severe insulin-resistant diabetes: But it’s always locked!
(Lili Grieco-St-Pierre, Jennifer Bruin/Created with BioRender.com)
In the severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD) subtype, the locks are overstimulated and start ignoring the keys. As a result, the beta cells produce even more keys to compensate. This can be measured as high levels of insulin in the blood, also known as hyperinsulinemia.
This resistance to insulin is particularly prominent in individuals with higher body weight. Patients with SIRD have an increased risk of complications such as fatty liver disease. There are many treatment avenues for these patients but no consensus about the optimal approach; patients often require high doses of insulin.
Mild obesity-related diabetes: The locks are sticky!
(Lili Grieco-St-Pierre, Jennifer Bruin/Created with BioRender.com)
Mild obesity-related (MOD) diabetes represents a nuanced aspect of Type 2 diabetes, often observed in individuals with higher body weight. Unlike more severe subtypes, MOD is characterized by a more measured response to insulin. The locks are “sticky,” so it is challenging for the key to click in place and open the lock. While MOD is connected to body weight, the comparatively less severe nature of MOD distinguishes it from other diabetes subtypes.
To minimize complications, treatment should include maintaining a healthy diet, managing body weight, and incorporating as much aerobic exercise as possible. This is where drugs like Ozempic can be prescribed to control the evolution of the disease, in part by managing body weight.
Mild age-related diabetes: I’m tired of controlling blood sugar!
(Lili Grieco-St-Pierre, Jennifer Bruin/Created with BioRender.com)
Mild age-related diabetes (MARD) happens more often in older people and typically starts later in life. With time, the key factory is not as productive, and the locks become stubborn. People with MARD find it tricky to manage their blood sugar, but it usually doesn’t lead to severe complications.
Among the different subtypes of diabetes, MARD is the most common.
Unique locks, varied keys
While efforts have been made to classify diabetes subtypes, new subtypes are still being identified, making proper clinical assessment and treatment plans challenging.
In Canada, unique cases of Type 2 diabetes were identified in Indigenous children from Northern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario by Dr. Heather Dean and colleagues in the 1980s and 90s. Despite initial skepticism from the scientific community, which typically associated Type 2 diabetes with adults rather than children, clinical teams persisted in identifying this as a distinct subtype of Type 2 diabetes, called childhood-onset Type 2 diabetes.
Read more:
Indigenous community research partnerships can help address health inequities
Childhood-onset Type 2 diabetes is on the rise across Canada, but disproportionately affects Indigenous youth. It is undoubtedly linked to the intergenerational trauma associated with colonization in these communities. While many factors are likely involved, recent studies have discovered that exposure of a fetus to Type 2 diabetes during pregnancy increases the risk that the baby will develop diabetes later in life.
Acknowledging this distinct subtype of Type 2 diabetes in First Nations communities has led to the implementation of a community-based health action plan aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples. It is hoped that partnered research between communities and researchers will continue to help us understand childhood-onset Type 2 diabetes and how to effectively prevent and treat it.
A mosaic of conditions
(Lili Grieco-St-Pierre, Jennifer Bruin/Created with BioRender.com)
Type 2 diabetes is not uniform; it’s a mosaic of conditions, each with its own characteristics. Since diabetes presents so uniquely in every patient, even categorizing into subtypes does not guarantee how the disease will evolve. However, understanding these subtypes is a good starting point to help doctors create personalized plans for people living with the condition.
While Indigenous communities, lower-income households and individuals living with obesity already face a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than the general population, tailored solutions may offer hope for better management. This emphasizes the urgent need for more precise assessments of diabetes subtypes to help customize therapeutic strategies and management strategies. This will improve care for all patients, including those from vulnerable and understudied populations.
Toronto reports 2 more measles cases. Use our tool to check the spread in Canada – Toronto Star
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