Field Notes

Exercise May Maintain Men’s Blood Vessel Health After Sugary Drink Consumption

A new study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology finds that regular exercise can offset the blood vessel impairment that occurs after drinking sugary soft drinks.

Previous studies have found that drinking a single sugar-sweetened soft drink can interfere with blood vessel dilation, leading to endothelial dysfunction. Research also has shown that aerobic exercise performed the day before drinking a sugary drink can prevent a decline in endothelial function. However, whether exercise can exert longer-lasting benefits with the consumption of larger amounts of sugar is less clear.

In a new study, healthy young men with an average age of 22 drank three sugar-sweetened beverages daily for seven days. Each beverage contained roughly the amount of sugar consumed when drinking a 20- to 25-oz soda. One-half of the subjects also participated in 45-minute moderate-intensity cycling sessions five days per week. Before and after the trial period, the research team measured the participants’ blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and endothelial function in the upper arm.

Blood sugar levels and blood pressure didn’t change in either the exercise or nonexercise groups. Blood vessel dilation was reduced—signifying endothelial dysfunction—in the nonexercisers after the week-long trial, but it was increased in the men who exercised.

“Engaging in regular, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise offsets the decline in endothelial function following repetitive [sugar-sweetened beverage] consumption,” the researchers wrote. “Our data highlight the importance of exercise in preventing endothelial dysfunction induced by high-sugar diets common in Western culture.”

— Source: American Physiological Society

 

Small Study Suggests Dietary Changes May Help Manage Ulcerative Colitis

Eating diets low in fat and high in fiber may improve the quality of life of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC)—even those in remission.

That’s the finding of a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology led by Maria T. Abreu, MD, a professor of medicine and professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

“Patients with inflammatory bowel disease always ask us what they should eat to make their symptoms better,” Abreu says. “Sadly, there have been very few really good studies that provide that information.”

Abreu’s work is changing that.

The current study looked at 17 people with UC, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can cause several symptoms, including bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and pain. Each participant’s UC was either in remission or considered mild, with relatively little diarrhea, bleeding, or pain.

One group ate a diet high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables and low in fat, with just 10% of calories from fat. The second group ate a diet that included higher quantities of fruits, vegetables, and fiber than a standard American diet. About 35% to 40% of their calories came from fat. Participants then changed to the opposite diet for the next four weeks. All foods were catered and delivered to participants’ homes.

Researchers looked at the participants’ prestudy diets and used questionnaires to measure their quality of life based on their physical, social, and emotional well-being. The questionnaires were given at the study’s start and four weeks after being on each diet. Participants also underwent blood and stool tests during the same period to look for markers of inflammation and check the balance of their gut bacteria and metabolites, something that can impact digestive health.

“The results were fascinating and show us how poorly patients eat at baseline,” says Abreu, who’s also director of the University of Miami Health Systems Crohn’s and Colitis Center.

Perhaps more important, researchers showed that improving diet could improve overall well-being. Both the low-fat and high-fat diets had more fruits and vegetables and fiber than the patients’ baseline diets. Both study diets were well tolerated and resulted in better quality of life for the study subjects compared with baseline diets, which were significantly less healthful. However, on the low-fat diet, participants also had lower levels of inflammation and signs of improvement in bacterial imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract. Sadly, many patients with ulcerative colitis are told to avoid fruits and vegetables, which seem to be highly beneficial.

The findings suggest that dietary interventions could benefit patients with UC in remission and, perhaps, other forms of IBD as well.

“We are now testing a similar diet in Crohn’s disease patients but adding a psychological component to help with long-term adherence to a healthful diet,” Abreu says.

Abreu’s new study, funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust, will involve 160 patients with Crohn’s disease over the next three years.

— Source: University of Miami Health System, Miller School of Medicine