The improvement in diastolic blood pressure was >3-fold greater in overweight and obese adults when they consumed a whole-grain compared with a refined-grain diet. Because diastolic blood pressure predicts mortality in adults aged <50 y, increased whole-grain intake may provide a functional approach to control hypertension. This may benefit patients at risk of vascular-related morbidity and mortality. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01411540.

BackgroundThe pattern of protein intake following exercise may impact whole-body protein turnover and net protein retention. We determined the effects of different protein feeding strategies on protein metabolism in resistance-trained young men.MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to ingest either 80g of whey protein as 8x10g every 1.5h (PULSE; n=8), 4x20g every 3h (intermediate, INT; n=7), or 2x40g every 6h (BOLUS; n=8) after an acute bout of bilateral knee extension exercise (4x10 repetitions at 80% maximal strength). Whole-body protein turnover (Q), synthesis (S), breakdown (B), and net balance (NB) were measured throughout 12h of recovery by a bolus ingestion of [15N]glycine with urinary [15N]ammonia enrichment as the collected end-product.ResultsPULSE Q rates were greater than BOLUS (~19%, P<0.05) with a trend towards being greater than INT (~9%, P=0.08). Rates of S were 32% and 19% greater and rates of B were 51% and 57% greater for PULSE as compared to INT and BOLUS, respectively (P<0.05), with no difference between INT and BOLUS. There were no statistical differences in NB between groups (P=0.23); however, magnitude-based inferential statistics revealed likely small (mean effect±90%CI; 0.59±0.87) and moderate (0.80±0.91) increases in NB for PULSE and INT compared to BOLUS and possible small increase (0.42±1.00) for INT vs. PULSE.ConclusionWe conclude that the pattern of ingested protein, and not only the total daily amount, can impact whole-body protein metabolism. Individuals aiming to maximize NB would likely benefit from repeated ingestion of moderate amounts of protein (~20g) at regular intervals (~3h) throughout the day.

Minocycline is proposed as an add-on therapy to improve the efficacy of glatiramer acetate in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The effect of minocycline plus glatiramer acetate was evaluated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study by determining the total number of T1 gadolinium-enhanced lesions at months 8 and 9 in patients who were starting glatiramer acetate and had at least one T1 gadolinium-enhanced lesion on screening magnetic resonance imaging. Forty-four participants were randomized to either minocycline 100 mg twice daily or matching placebo for 9 months as add-on therapy. They were assessed at screening and months 1, 3, 6, 8 and 9. Forty participants completed the study. Compared with glatiramer acetate/placebo, glatiramer acetate/minocycline reduced the total number of T1 gadolinium-enhanced lesions by 63% (mean 1.47 versus 2.95; p = 0.08), the total number of new and enlarging T2 lesions by 65% (mean 1.84 versus 5.14; p = 0.06), and the total T2 disease burden (p = 0.10). A higher number of gadolinium-enhanced lesions were present in the glatiramer acetate/minocycline group at baseline; this was incorporated into the analysis of the primary endpoint but makes interpretation of the data more challenging. The risk of relapse tended to be lower in the combination group (0.19 versus 0.41; p = NS). Treatment was safe and well tolerated. We conclude that efficacy endpoints showed a consistent trend favoring combination treatment. As minocycline is a relatively safe oral therapy, further study of this combination is warranted in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

In conjunction with the rise in rates of obesity, there has been an increase in the rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). While NAFLD at least partially originates from poor diet, there is a lack of nutritional recommendations for patients with suspected or confirmed diagnosis of NAFLD, beyond eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and emphasising weight loss. The limited current literature suggests that there may be opportunities to provide more tailored dietary advice for people diagnosed with or at risk of NAFLD. Epidemiological studies consistently find associations between whole grain intake and a reduced risk of obesity and related diseases, yet no work has been done on the potential of whole grains to prevent and/or be a part of the treatment for fatty liver diseases. In this review, we examine the potential and the current evidence for whole grains having an impact on NAFLD. Due to their nutrient and phytochemical composition, switching from consuming mainly refined grains to whole grains should be considered as part of the nutritional guidelines for patients diagnosed with or at risk for fatty liver disease.

Whole-grains reduced diabetes risk and the mechanisms appear to work through reduced post-prandial blood glucose and peripheral insulin resistance that were statistically linked to enhanced metabolic flexibility.