Health Scoop News – New studies about 1-Nutrition/Hormones, 2-Gut microplastics, & 3-Herbs/spices for metabolic health

I always have my nose in new health research, so I’m sharing some of the most relevant studies with you in regular editions of “Health Scoop News.”

[This news summary is a bit reminiscent of my old “This week in science for holistic health” newsletters that I used to do circa 2016 (I deleted most, but here’s one post I kept live), as well as the rEATsearch podcast I used to co-host.]

These are my top three study picks (comment below to tell me what health topics/niches are best for you!). All of the studies listed below are very high quality studies (most are studies that review and analyze data from several previous studies, not just one or two).

These studies were all published in the past month or two.

1 – Nutrition, hormones, and metabolic health

Study title: Obesity, Dietary Patterns, and Hormonal Balance Modulation: Gender-Specific Impacts

This is a review study, summarizing many previous studies about the links between nutrition, hormones, and metabolic health.

Here’s some background info:

• The endocrine system releases hormones that regulate “appetite and the absorption, storage, and utilization of nutrients, as well as other functions, including reproduction.“
• Hormones are released from the following glands “pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, thymus, and pineal, as well as the pancreas, ovaries, and testes.”
• There are over 200 hormones, that include, “estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, leptin, and thyroid hormones” that help regulate “metabolism, fertility, mood regulation, and other essential physiological functions.”

Examples how nutrients and dietary patterns influence hormones:

• “Thyroid hormones is modulated by . . . a sufficient intake of essential nutrients such as selenium, iron, and iodine.”
• “Obesity is significantly associated with an increased risk of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and increased levels of positive thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb).”
• “Cortisol, a steroid hormone . . . is influenced by dietary extremes and specific nutrients, such as the type of CHOs [carbohydrates] consumed.”
• Insulin resistance is improved with both Mediterranean diet and low-carb diets.
• “Anti-inflammatory diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, enhance leptin sensitivity and decrease leptin levels.”
• “Diets high in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) can induce leptin resistance.”
• Obesity can impact metabolism, inflammation, hormones, and fertility.

How obesity impacts hormones (Figure 1):

• ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11174431/figure/nutrients-16-01629-f001/​

Nutrition for hormonal health:

• “As the precursors of essential molecules governing bodily processes, nutrients play a crucial role in modulating physiological functions and biochemical pathways, including those regulating hormones.“
• There is “growing evidence suggesting that a reduction in the energy intake can exert beneficial effects on various physiological processes, influencing not only weight management but also overall metabolic health and hormonal regulation.”
• “Imbalanced dietary regimens can precipitate a state of low-grade systemic inflammation, profoundly affecting endocrine homeostasis.“
• “A 5% weight loss in women with obesity results in significant improvements in endocrine parameters, including decreased levels of free testosterone, LH [lutenizing hormone], and insulin, as well as increased ovulation frequency.”
• “The WD [Western diet] significantly affects cortisol levels, . . . leads to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, disrupting the HPA axis, . . . worsening metabolic issues, . . . additional weight gain, increased adipose tissue, IR [insulin resistance], and hormonal signaling disruptions . . . “
• “The WD is typically deficient in antioxidant-rich foods and abundant in pro-oxidant substances . . . [and] may contribute to hormonal imbalances in both sexes through OS [oxidative stress].“
• “An increasing body of evidence suggests that GM [gut microbiome] is adversely affected by the WD [Western diet], promoting inflammation.”
• “Both the WD [Western diet] and HFD [High fat diet] have significant implications for hormonal balance, systemic inflammation, and metabolic health.“
• “Overall, PBDs [plant based diets] remain a promising dietary choice for enhancing overall health.”
• “The Med-Diet [Mediterranean] emerges as a holistic dietary approach to optimizing hormonal balance and reproductive health, offering a beacon of hope in the fight against obesity-related endocrine disruptions. “

Concluding statements from the researchers:

• “In conclusion, while various dietary patterns offer potential benefits for hormonal balance and metabolic health, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Future research should aim to identify personalized dietary interventions tailored to individual metabolic and hormonal profiles.“

In other words, according to this review, the Western diet or a high-fat diet are inflammatory and negatively impact hormones, the gut microbiome, and metabolic health. These negative impacts can be helped by reducing energy intake, or adopting dietary habits such as Mediterranean or plant-based diets.

For more information, here’s a link to the study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11174431/

2 – Protect against health impacts of microplastics with . . . probiotics

Study title: Probiotics an emerging therapeutic approach towards gut-brain-axis oriented chronic health issues induced by microplastics: A comprehensive review

This is a review of several previous studies to understand how bad microplastic pollution is for our health, and whether probiotics are a promising way to protect ourselves from these effects.

Here’s some background info about the harms of microplastics and how we are exposed to them:

• “Food ingested MP [microplastics] triggers intestinal dysbiosis, inflammation, ROS [reactive oxygen species], neurodegeneration, and organelle damage.“
• “MP’s hydrophobicity & large surface area allow toxic pollutants to attach to their surface & entry routes determine severity.”
• “Once in the environment, plastics begin to degrade and break into smaller pieces.”
• “MPs can adsorb a variety of pollutants, such as PAHs, PCBs, heavy metals, pathogens, and more.“
• “The human body can come in contact with MPs [microplastics] through ingestion of MP-contaminated food, inhalation of MPs present in the air, and dermal contact with these particles, found in commercial products, textiles, or in dust, leading to health issues.“
• “MPs have been detected in human saliva, placenta, lungs, stool, and breast milk.“
• “The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the primary site of action for the significant health effects of food-intake plastic particles, directly harming the body.”
• “MPs can enter the body through food, disrupting gut health and the gut-brain axis.”
• “MPs can compromise the intestinal barrier, alter the microbial population in the gut, and trigger various cascades that result in the production of ROS, causing organ damage and neurotoxicity.“

Image of gut-brain axis with and without microplastics:

• Figure 5 shows two scenarios: A) Normal gut-brain axis, and B) microplastic affected gut-brain axis – ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11176854/figure/fig5/​

How probiotics can help protect the gut (and rest of the body) from ingested microplastics:

• “Research in microbiology has shown that both GI [gastrointestinal] and non-GI diseases are linked to imbalances in the gut microbiota.”
• “Probiotics have shown significant therapeutic potential in managing various illnesses mediated by the gut-brain axis. They connect hormonal and biochemical pathways to promote gut and brain health, making them a promising therapy option for a variety of GB [gut-brain] axis-mediated illnesses.”
• “Probiotics regulate gut-brain, gut-liver, gut-lung, & endocrine axis to control dysbiosis.“
• “Consuming probiotics either alone or in food enhances antioxidant activity or reduces oxidative damage in cells.”
• “Probiotic strains such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria can synthesize antioxidants, vitamins, and bioactive compounds, reduce free radicals, and have beneficial effects on disorders associated with oxidative stress.”
• “Probiotics safeguard the brain by preventing stress-induced synaptic dysfunction between neurons.”

Safety of probiotics:

• “Probiotics appear to be safe based on the majority of research, with no true contraindications. However, in light of a few incidents, certain individuals should proceed with caution. Patients with small gut syndrome, compromised immune systems, or advanced age should consider any potential adverse effects before starting.“

Concluding statement from the researchers:

• “Since the human diet plays a significant role in disrupting gut microbes and causing disorders, probiotics are a suitable and compassionate therapeutic target to manage gut dysbiosis and protect bi-directional axes such as the gut-brain axis, gut-liver axis, gut-lung axis, and gut-skin axis.”

In other words, one of the main ways microplastics get into our bodies is from what we eat and drink. Some toxic pollutants and pathogens stick to the surface of microplastics, making them even worse for health. Probiotics are a way that might help protect us against some of the health effects of microplastic pollution due to the links between the gut and the brain, liver, lung, and skin.

For more information, here’s a link to the study: ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11176854/

For a list of dozens of credible sites to find health information, plus some PubMed tips, download your free guide here:

3 – Herbs and spices for metabolic health

Study title: The Effect of Therapeutic Doses of Culinary Spices in Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This was a randomized control clinical trial (RCT)—the most robust kind of clinical study.

Here’s some background info:

• “Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a combination of medical illnesses that can include high fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, elevated blood pressure, central obesity, high blood triglyceride (TG) levels, insulin resistance, diabetes, elevated blood low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and reduced blood high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels.”
• “Changing a MetS patient’s lifestyle could help to treat symptoms and improve the quality of life for people at risk of CVD [cardiovascular disease].”

How the RCT was done:

• 120 adults with at least two risk factors for metabolic syndrome were randomly divided into four groups. Each group of 30 participants took one gram of an assigned spice in the morning, afternoon, and evening each day (totaling 3 g/day) for 12 weeks.
• Those four spices were: ginger (Zingiber officinale), cinnamon (Cinnamomum), black seed (Nigella sativa), and placebo (corn starch).
• “Participants were asked to sustain their dietary habits and not to change them during the 12 weeks of study.”
• Measurements were taken of participants’ fasting glucose, haemoglobin, HbA1c, blood pressure, blood lipids, height, weight, body composition, and waist circumference to determine if the spices were having any effect.

Study results:

• Blackseed and ginger caused decreases in the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (both the cinnamon and placebo groups showed no effects)
• All three spices caused small decreases in fasting blood glucose, with blackseed showing the greatest effect, followed by ginger, and then cinnamon
• Cinnamon showed the greatest effect on HbA1c, followed by smaller changes in ginger, and blackseed, as compared to a small increase in the placebo group
• “There were no statistically significant effects of the 12-week spice intervention on the anthropometric parameters,” (weight, BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ration, fat mass, body fat %, visceral fat, fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass)

Here’s what the researchers conclude:

• “The high dose supplementation of the evaluated spices led to improvements in several important indices in metabolic syndrome, including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, FBG, and HbA1c levels. . . . While larger studies are required to fully validate the effects, including differing doses and long-term supplementation, the data provided herein provide a strong rationale for future research.”

In other words,

For more information, here’s a link to the study: ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11175078/

Signing off and toasting: To keeping up with the latest and greatest scientific research in nutrition, fitness, and health coaching!

Over to you

Do you have a specific question about any of these new studies?

Are you looking for a easy-to-understand study summary that you can share with your audience and clients?

What health topic/niche is most important to you?

Let me know in the comments below!